


Tell Me Now, Tell Me Now

by vanillabeanniall



Category: One Direction (Band), i used miraculous ladybug as an au, so i wont tag it but its here
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Baker Harry, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Irony, M/M, Model Louis, Mutual Pining, OT4 Friendship, but this is about the superheroes dont be deceived, liam runs a newspaper basically, lots of complimenting h&l bc i love them, love square, niall is all-knowing, no sex but the implication of sex, squad 4 life, the most ironic thing you will ever read seriously, they curse, this au is just a breeding ground for irony, youll get it once you start reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 03:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 54,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillabeanniall/pseuds/vanillabeanniall
Summary: “Ladybug!” Liam Payne was standing there with his phone out. Harry couldn’t help but smile at his best friend. Not that Liam knew it was him; to Liam, this was Ladybug, hero of Paris and untouchable icon. “I have a question that I think all the viewers here on the Ladyblog want to know: are you and Chat Noir dating?”Harry blinked. “No,” he said quickly, “we’re just- friends. We’re partners! Teammates!”“Of course, I should’ve known,” Liam responded, grinning behind the screen. “Ladybug’s heart belongs to Paris!”Not exactly true. But Harry was the only one who knew just who owned Ladybug’s heart: Louis Tomlinson.In which Harry is Ladybug, Louis is Chat Noir, together they’re the hailed ‘Heroes of Paris,’ and each is in love with the other’s alter-ego.





	1. A Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> i got into this kids show called miraculous ladybug and i was like 'damn this is the ideal au' so here it is for your very own viewing pleasure.
> 
> shoutout to [ella](http://www.spnife.tumblr.com), my beta and friend (i love u pal) and shoutout to julia, my best friend who made fun of me the entire time i wrote this because it's 54k of the plotline of a childrens animated series
> 
> DISCLAIMER: i do not own in any way any rights related to One Direction or Miraculous Ladybug. this is a fun little work of fiction designed for fans and is not to be used in relation to either brand.
> 
> title from one direction's where do broken hearts go (the lyrics of which fit pretty well i think, as well as being a fuckin banger)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright lets roll
> 
> and [here](http://vibrantlarries.tumblr.com/post/157886402002/miraculous-ladybug-is-such-a-good-au-with-harry) is my artwork which started it all (ur looking at history here folks)
> 
> ps all those fun little phrases which sound dumb written out are straight out of the show so dont judge this based on harry saying "bye-bye little butterfly" in the first few paragraphs

_Many centuries ago, magic jewels bestowing extraordinary powers were created: these were the Miraculous. Throughout history, heroes have used these jewels for the good of the human race. Two of these Miraculous are more powerful than the others: the earrings of the Ladybug, which provide the power of creation, and the ring of the Black Cat, which grants the power of destruction. According to legend, whoever controls both these jewels at the same time will achieve absolute power._

 

_Recently, one of these seven Miraculous was stolen, and the man responsible began to twist his newfound powers, creating super villains with his akumas (evilized butterflies) in the hopes of luring these two most powerful to himself. In response, the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous were bestowed unto two Parisian citizens of pure heart and good will. The two heroes have taken up the burden of these secret powers and protected Paris from the evil thief for nearly a year now, and are ever on the hunt to find and stop him._

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“Chat Noir, coming to you!” Harry yelled at his partner, sprinting around the base of the Eiffel tower, whipping the unbreakable string of his magical yo-yo behind him as he went. He stopped abruptly, and with a mighty yank, pulled the line taut, causing the villain to trip over the strategically placed red-and-black traffic cone -- right in front of his waiting partner.

 

“A gift?” he said playfully, batting his eyelashes. “For me? You shouldn’t have!”

 

Harry glared at him, but Chat Noir just laughed it off, leaning down and casually plucking the dark, glowing necklace off of the fallen villain. He snapped the pendant in half on its chain, and out of the cracks flew a black butterfly, convulsing with purple light.

 

Harry drew a finger swiftly across the middle of his own pendant and swung his yo-yo around again, flinging it at the butterfly to capture it.

 

“Time to de-evilize!”

 

A burst of white light came from the trapped butterfly, and when the pendant re-opened, it flew out calmly, now a beaming bright white.

 

“Bye-bye, little butterfly,” Harry said sweetly as it flew off, blending into the clouds as it went.

 

He watched it fly away before picking up the spotted traffic cone and hurling it as high as he could, shouting, “ _Miraculous Ladybug!_ ”

 

It burst twenty feet up, exploding back into streams of thousands of ladybugs that raced all around them, restoring the environment to the way it was before all the fighting. In front of him, the villain transformed once again into a fragile civilian, who sat up, murmuring in confusion.

 

Harry looked back at his partner to find him already staring back warmly. Harry grinned, holding up his fist. Chat Noir beamed back even brighter and lifted his own to bump knuckles. He opened his mouth to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by a beeping from his own ring.

 

“I have to go,” he said quickly, as if Harry didn’t already know, as if they hadn’t been doing this for a year now. He waved as he ran off, away from Harry, shouting as he went, “See you next time, Bugaboo!”

 

Harry shook his head fondly. What a ridiculous cat.

 

A couple beeps closer to his own ears caught his attention, and Harry immediately raised a hand to his ear and turned to run.

 

“Wait, Ladybug!” a familiar voice called. Harry looked over his shoulder. Liam Payne was standing there with his phone out, and damn, if Harry could say no to those big, brown puppy eyes.

 

Harry paused, turning, and Liam ran up to him.

 

“Ladybug, first I’d like to say congratulations on saving Paris again!”

 

Harry couldn’t help but smile at his best friend. Not that Liam knew it was him -- no, to Liam, this was Ladybug, hero of Paris and untouchable icon. Not that that stopped him from trying to discover his secret identity.

 

“Ladybug, I have a question that I think all the viewers here on the _Ladyblog_ want to know-”

 

Harry thought he knew what was coming. He opened his mouth to tell Liam that a secret identity was called secret for a reason, but:

 

“Are you and Chat Noir dating?”

 

Harry blinked. “No,” he said quickly, “we’re just- friends. We’re partners! Teammates! I mean, obviously I’d be a terrible hero without him by my side, but there’s no romance between us. Despite his, erm, _flirty_ nature.”

 

His earring beeped again. Harry only had a minute before he transformed back into his civilian self.

 

“Of course, I should’ve known,” Liam responded, grinning behind the screen. “Ladybug’s heart belongs to Paris!”

 

Not exactly true, but Harry needed to split, so he waved hurriedly. “Thanks for the chat, stay safe, Liam!” he yelled over his shoulder as he ran, using his yo-yo to leap onto roofs and over chimneys.

 

Harry didn’t realize his mistake for two blocks.

 

“ _Shit_ ,” he whispered. He shouldn’t have called Liam by his name. Honestly, he’d been doing this for a _year_ , how was he still fucking up? It was so hard to keep up two identities; some days, Harry just wanted to say _fuck it_ and just show everyone the truth -- or at the very least, show his best friend. But, alas, he couldn’t. Harry had to keep his identity a secret for all the same, noble, boring reasons Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne did. It was dumb, seeing as Superman and Batman were _so much cooler_ , but Ladybug had to follow the same unspoken rules nonetheless.

 

Right as he landed on the deserted sidewalk around the corner of his school’s building, a bright line of light rose around him, ruffling the short curls around his ears and leaving him dressed normally once again. Harry straightened up, undoing his bun as he went.

 

He checked the clock on his phone as he burst through the front doors. 9:12. Late already. This day was off to a _great_ start. Harry burst into the classroom soon after, shooting an apologetic look at his professor as he hurried to sit down. She just shook her head slightly, used to his chronic lateness. Harry slid into his seat, checking Liam’s stool next to him even though he knew it would be empty. They were coming from the same scene, and he didn’t have the shortcut of jumping over buildings. Sucker. Harry looked around, checking one more seat before settling.

 

The one in front of him was empty, and Harry stared at it as if that would make the handsome back of the boy who sat there appear. Unsurprisingly, it did not. Louis was still absent when Harry’s line of sight was yanked across the room at Liam rushing through the door, cheeks pink from exertion. It was impressive, given that he’d just run from across town. Harry, despite being the ‘hero of Paris’ that he was, always found himself in awe of Liam’s physical ability.

 

Liam made an apology to the professor (“Sorry, _madame_ , I was held up by the akuma attacks a few blocks down.”) and slid into the seat next to Harry’s.

 

“Oh my god, H,” he whispered excitedly. “The best. Thing. _Ever_. Just happened to me.”

 

“David Beckham dropped from the sky in nothing but his football shorts and proposed?” Harry whispered back, unable to resist being a little shit.

 

“Fucker,” Liam whispered back, smacking him lightly on the thigh with his phone. “No. Ladybug said my name!”

 

Harry raised his eyebrows. “How polite of him.”

 

“No, H,” Liam responded earnestly and excitedly, “I didn’t introduce myself! Harry, do you realize what this means? Ladybug follows the _Ladyblog_!”

 

Harry mirrored his best friend’s surprised joy. At least Liam had arrived at the safest conclusion for the secret identity. Crisis averted, probably.

 

Liam was about to continue when the door opened again. Harry’s eyes widened and his cheeks pinkened as the boy who opened it walked in confidently. Liam rolled his eyes and turned to face the front.

 

“You two were made for each other,” Liam muttered to Harry. “Neither of you can get anywhere on time.”

 

Harry squeaked and immediately slapped a hand to his mouth. The boy’s piercing blue eyes shifted to him. He must have found something nice there, though, because a small smile quirked his mouth at Harry’s wide green eyes and bright pink cheeks. Harry sunk lower in his chair as the gaze swept the room again and the boy sat down in the seat in front of him.

 

Liam looked at Harry, amused by his suffering. Friendship is great. Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend, daring him to say something. Liam took it as a challenge, opening his mouth probably to mortify Harry even more, but was thankfully cut off by another one of their classmates, Niall, leaning over to them and interrupting.

 

“Hey, guys, who would win in a fight, Chat Noir or a bear?”

 

Harry blinked. “Chat Noir or a bear?”

 

Niall nodded, leaning back on Liam’s desk. “Yup. Me an’ Louis here,” he gestured to the boy next to him, whom, Harry had just realized, was turned around and looking at him with those blue eyes and perfect bone structure and glowing skin and- “-are having a bit of a disagreement.”

 

“Bear,” Liam said, and Louis’ gaze was shifted over. (Harry did not know how to feel about this particular development.) “No contest. Chat Noir is a skinny punk.”

 

“I thought you liked Chat Noir,” Louis said. Harry tried his best not to swoon over his beautiful voice and adorable pout.

 

“Yeah, of course I do,” Liam said, “but, like, it’s a bear. Chat Noir’s good, but when it comes down to it, he’s kind of a little dude. Everyone knows that Ladybug’s the real power there.”

 

“Chat Noir isn’t short,” Louis said, seemingly offended by the insinuation.

 

“Okay, Lou, alright, he’s a big strong man,” Niall interjected, still splayed across Liam’s desk. “So, Harry, Chat Noir or a bear? Who would win?”

 

“Chat Noir,” Harry said without hesitation.

 

“Really?” Liam asked. Harry turned to him. “Against a _bear? 900 pounds of pure animal instinct?_ ”

 

“Why do you know how much a bear weighs?” Harry asked.

 

“Why don’t you?” Liam shot back. He shook his head slightly. “Stop deflecting.”

 

“Chat Noir would win because of his amazing heroics,” Louis cut in with a triumphant grin in Niall’s direction.

 

“No way!” Liam responded.

 

Harry smirked. “Chat Noir would win,” he stated, “because he’d make such an un _bear_ able pun that the bear would just keel over and _die_.”

 

Louis huffed in a way that showed he was very amused, but wished he wasn’t. Harry immediately clammed up, blushing deep pink once more. Liam rolled his eyes.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis dropped into another hard, plastic seat. He looked around the big, empty room as he waited for the others to join him, contentedly early for the only extracurricular he cared for. Louis had a very busy schedule, filled to the brim with fencing, piano lessons, Chinese, and modelling jobs for his dad.

 

The last of these was by far his least favorite. Louis knew he was attractive, and was very aware of his advantage as the son of Paris’s forefront fashion designer, Gabriel Tomlinson, so he allowed his father to use him as the posterboy for the Tomlinson brand. But, in truth, satisfying his father was the only reason he did it. Louis had never wanted to make a career out of it, had never had the urge to model, and had recently, in fact, realized that he _hated_ seeing himself plastered on advertisements and magazines around the city. This hadn’t been a problem for most of his life, as his father had had him home schooled “to give him only the best tutors Paris had to offer,” but in doing so, had taken away the one thing Louis had asked for: a normal life, where he could have friends other than those of the rich men surrounding his father, and relationships with actual people, and a _real_ youth rather than the pristine, sheltered one he had been bestowed.

 

Not that he had ended up with a normal life anyways. As soon as his eighteenth birthday came, Louis had moved out. He applied to a college -- this college -- and been accepted. He moved right in, getting along wildly with his flatmate, Niall, but soon after, everything changed. It started with him finding a small box on the table. He didn’t know how it got there. It wasn’t his; he’d never seen Niall with it either. Curiosity pushed him to open it, and opened it he had. That was when the ball of light burst forth and, essentially, he’d been introduced to the superhero life.

 

Louis had been living a double life for about a year now. As himself, he was a college student and annoying well-known model, whom every girl wished for and none received, as he was not only openly gay, but also terribly in love with someone else. As Chat Noir, Louis teamed up with Ladybug to save Paris from the akumatised victims which terrorized the city every week. Those were the times he looked forward to most, when he was Chat Noir. Not because of the destruction and chaos, but because those were the times he was truly free, when he could be a person and not the face of some brand. Not to mention, those were the times he was with Ladybug. Yeah. That earlier mentioned _someone else_? It was him. Ladybug was, Louis suspected, the great love of his life. And if that seemed dramatic, well, Louis was a gay French model slash superhero, so pick one stereotype out of that treasure trove.

 

Louis shifted in his seat. That love was what had initially drawn him to this particular club, the one he always made time for between “Gabriel Tomlinson’s Son” Things and “Heroes of Paris” Things. He felt ridiculous when he thought about it, but the Ladybug Fan Club made him so happy.

 

The door to the classroom was pushed open and a blonde girl walked in, trailed by ~~her henchman~~ another girl.

 

“Louis!” the girl exclaimed in the fakest manner imaginable. She gave life to the rich blonde stereotype.

 

“Chloe,” he smiled back. When he had first gotten away from his dad and was out on his own, Chloe Bourgeois was the only person he had resembling a friend. This unfortunate fact was more due to circumstance than choice, however, because her father was just as rich and powerful as Louis’ own, and therefore the two had been shunted off on playdates when they were younger that, looking back, were clearly intended more to give their parents a break from, well, parenting.

 

“How _are_ you?” she called, batting her eyelashes and stepping out to give him a hug.

 

Louis remained seated, but smiled back at her.

 

“Still gay,” he said, anticipating her attempts to flirt.

 

She laughed. “Oh, Louis, you are _so_ funny.”

 

Chloe was not good at picking up hints.

 

“You know, I just got another apartment,” she said conversationally. “This one’s got thick walls,” her tone dropped.

 

She was, however, rather good at dropping them.

 

Louis blinked. “What is that now, six? Seven?”

 

She nodded happily. “My father is so generous to me.”

 

Louis raised an eyebrow. How was this girl so oblivious to her own privilege. How was she so blind. How.

 

He waved to the girl behind her. “Hey, Petra.”

 

She smiled and waved back at him, but the door opened again before she could respond, and they all turned towards the disturbance.

 

“Oh, hey, you guys are here,” Liam said as he walked in. “Should we just go ahead and start the meeting?”

 

The three others kind of shrugged, so Liam just jumped right in. This was most of the club, at least all of the members who showed up nearly all of the time. The Ladybug Fan Club was not a popular extracurricular.

 

“You’re not gonna believe what happened to me this morning,” Liam said excitedly. He continued before anyone could respond. “Ladybug called me by my name!”

 

Louis looked at him flatly. “It _is_ common courtesy, Lime.”

 

“Ha, ha, very funny, Lou,” Liam said, not letting his friend’s teasing deter him from his excitement. “But, like, I’ve never introduced myself to him! And he just walked up to me and started talking and, like, do you realize what this means?”

 

He looked around at his captivated audience. Liam had come to the right club for avid Ladybug fans. He’d know, though, as he was the president.

 

“Ladybug reads my _Ladyblog_!”

 

A smile stretched across Louis’ face. It seemed like such a small thing, proving Ladybug to be a fan of his friend’s website, but it was also one of the precious few facts he had proving that he was a regular person at all. It made Louis feel closer to him, somehow, when he thought about Ladybug being subject to the same everyday annoyances of life that he was. As Chat Noir, he was the closest to him of anyone, of course, but as Louis, sometimes he felt irrevocably distant from the hero he loved. Damn secret identities. Always fucking things up.

 

Louis longed to discover who Ladybug was under the mask. Not enough to disrespect his partner’s wishes -- no, he’d had plenty of opportunity to sneak a peek after a transformation, but Louis would never break Ladybug’s trust like that. That’s what had driven him to join this club, actually, when Liam proposed it. Of all the Ladybug fans in Paris, Louis would say that Liam was the most dedicated (possibly barring himself). He ran a blog following Ladybug’s every step, even including the uneventful patrols the superhero took around Paris to keep an eye out, and if anyone was going to have clues about his identity, it would be Liam.

 

“Okay, congrats, whatever,” Chloe said to Liam’s news. “That doesn’t get us any closer to him. If he’s been reading it this whole time, why would knowing it change anything?”

 

She had a point. A depressing point, but still.

 

Louis saw the beginnings of Liam’s sad puppy face and jumped to fix it. “Maybe, but it’s nice to know that Ladybug appreciates what you do, Li.”

 

Liam’s grin reappeared. “It is. It’s really nice.”

 

Louis laughed good-naturedly. “And it means we have a way to reach him, too.”

 

Chloe laughed, less good naturedly. “Alongside most of Paris.”

 

Liam shrugged, smiling. Nobody could drag him down.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“Dude, you’ve got to talk to him eventually,” Liam was saying to Harry. “How else are you gonna get him to eventually marry and have nine kids with you?” He chuckled at the found-out look on Harry’s face. “Yeah, H, I know your plans.”

 

Harry blushed and looked down at his desk.

 

“I just have the hardest time talking to him, you know? I always end up blushing and stuttering and just becoming an all-around mess.”

 

Liam sighed, putting a reassuring hand on Harry’s back. “But there’s no way you’ll get him to go to a coffee shop with you if you can’t ask him.”

 

“I _know_ ,” Harry sighed dramatically, slumping down on the desk and burying his face in his arms.

 

Liam shook his head fondly at his friend. Just then the door to the classroom opened, and Louis himself walked in with Niall.

 

“It’s time,” Liam hissed at Harry. Harry groaned, peeking his eyes and burning cheeks out of the jumble of himself on the desk.

 

“Hey, Lou, Ni,” Liam said conversationally as the other two boys sat down in their seats directly in front of him.

 

Louis waved, and Niall greeted him back ecstatically.

 

Harry peeked up at Louis from his collapsed position and nearly melted at the view that greeted him. Louis’ fringe was all messy and soft, poking out from under a maroon beanie, and he looked so soft and warm in his sweatshirt as he gesticulated happily. _This is it_ , Harry thought. _This is how I die_. He was pretty fine with it.

 

“How could anyone be so chipper this time of the morning,” Louis was saying flatly to Liam, presumably about Niall. He suddenly gestured towards Harry, whose head was still down on the table and whose curls were swooped up in a messy bun. “See, Harry here gets it.”

 

Harry blushed wildly and thanked the powers above that Louis had said Harry’s name in his beautiful, bewitching voice. It was maybe a dramatic reaction, but who could blame Harry.

 

Liam rolled his eyes. “It’s 11:30 in the morning, Louis.”

 

Louis shook his head dramatically. “And that’s two hours before any civilised person should even consider getting out of bed.”

 

Harry fought against a flood of imaginary images of a sleepy, soft Louis curled up in fluffy sheets, coated in golden sunlight streaming through a wide window, long eyelashes fluttering as he slowly awakened. He also fought against imagining himself there, wrapped up in Louis’ arms and pleasantly warm, kissing him awake. Harry lost both of these battles by a large margin.

 

Liam nudged him. Harry blinked, turning even redder and looking over at him. “Sorry, what?”

 

Niall laughed. “We said, who do you think would win in a fight: a great white shark or Ladybug?”

 

“The insect or the superhero?” Harry asked.

 

The other three laughed at him.

 

“The superhero, obviously,” said Louis good-naturedly.

 

Harry blushed even harder, if that was even possible.

 

“I, um- I think, erm, maybe- um-” Harry stuttered under Louis’ gaze.

 

Liam swooped in to save his drowning friend. “Well, where’s the battle? In the water or on the land?”

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Louis said. “Ladybug would win no matter what.”

 

“Really?” asked Niall. “I mean, it’s a great white shark, bro. And Ladybug can’t breathe underwater.”

 

Louis shook his head again, still smiling in a way that almost seemed like he was holding himself back. “Ladybug’s the best, of course he’d win.”

 

Harry’s eyes widened and his face burned even more. He was probably breaking some sort of record for redness. He’d never considered that Louis liked Ladybug. It made sense, though. Harry’s alter-ego was the widely-loved ‘Hero of Paris,’ so it only made sense that Louis liked him. Still, though, it made Harry indescribably happy to hear that Louis thought that _he_ (indirectly, of course) was the _best_. Not that it actually meant anything (other than placing Harry above Chat Noir. Poor kitty. Harry was so much more popular than his partner).

 

“Ladybug,” Liam agreed. “But, honestly, I’m very ride-or-die with him. You could say Ladybug versus anything and I’d say him.”

 

Niall laughed. “You’re probably right about the terrain, though.”

 

“Yeah,” Liam agreed, glancing at Harry. Harry realized that he was maybe about to say something as a segue into Harry asking Louis out. The thought made his stomach twist in anxiety. “If they’re in the ocean he’d have a harder time, but like if he was here in Paris, fighting in, like, a _coffee shop_ …”

 

Harry glared at Liam from over his folded arms. How dare he try to help his friend like this. It was common knowledge that Harry was physically unable to talk to Louis.

 

“A coffee shop,” he said flatly.

 

“What’s he gonna do, break an espresso machine over its head?” Niall laughed, blissfully unaware.

 

Louis laughed at that as well. “He’s definitely strong enough to.”

 

Liam nodded along, glancing at Harry. “Hey, speaking of coffee-”

 

Harry glared at him. Liam started right back.

 

“What?” Louis inquired, looking between them.

 

Harry met his eyes, and the whole world shrunk down to the misty blue. He could feel his cheeks burning pink and opened his mouth -- he was supposed to say something, something important -- but the only thing filling his mind was that hypnotising color, and no words came out.

 

Louis blinked and looked away as the conversation continued to flow around him. Harry buried his face in his arms once more, not lifting it even when he vaguely heard the settling sounds of class starting. _One day_ , he promised to himself, _one day I’ll be able to hold a good conversation with Louis Tomlinson_.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“What’s your suit even made out of, anyways?” Harry said, poking Chat Noir’s side. His partner wormed away, ticklish.

 

The two superheroes were sitting upon a high roof, watching the lights of their city twinkle around them under the dark sky. Nightly patrols were often boring, but Harry liked them when Chat was there. It made the chore more bearable.

 

Chat Noir wagged his eyebrows and leaned in, smirking. “Boyfriend material.”

 

Harry laughed, punching him lightly in the chest. Chat Noir tumbled backwards with a shout. Harry jumped forward to catch him and pull him back up.

 

“Oops,” he said, laughing.

 

“Hi,” Chat Noir whispered back, looking all too soft for having just nearly fallen off a roof.

 

When their giggles subsided, Harry continued his train of thought. “No, seriously, look at this,” he said, poking him again. “It’s all… shiny?” He looked up into his partner’s blue eyes. “Do you wear a rubber suit?”

 

Chat Noir laughed, running a hand through his messy hair. “Rubber? Fuck, no, that would be _so_ uncomfortable. How the fuck am I supposed to run around chasing criminals if all my skin is being rubbed off?”

 

Harry laughed again. “The chafing would be ridiculous,” he agreed.

 

Chat huffed in agreement, softly smiling out at Paris. Harry turned as well, looking out on the city they worked so hard to protect. He saw lights shine through thousands of windows and doors, saw shifting, shaded reflections in the river, saw the famous Eiffel tower aglow for the people, and even saw a light from a close-ish building that must have been his own home and the bakery below it. It wasn’t exactly a rare view -- after all, anyone with a high window could see something similar -- but somehow, this angle felt private. A small wind lifted some loose curls off of Harry’s forehead and the chill of the night sunk heavily through his costume.

 

“It’s so nice,” he whispered, not wanting to break the quiet spell the two of them had fallen into.

 

“Beautiful,” Chat Noir agreed.

 

Harry looked over at his partner, only to find him already staring back. He bit his lip and stood up quickly.

 

“Let’s check another area,” he said briskly, already walking towards the end of the roof.

 

He heard the sounds of Chat jumping up behind him, but Harry was already leaping off the roof and through the air to the next. Not thinking, he led them towards his home, and only stopped when they were across the street. The lights illuminating the front of the bakery seemed smudged in the dark. Harry stood on the crest of the roof across from his own building, blinking at his own fairy lights strung around his apartment window.

 

“That’s cute,” Chat said, pointing to them.

 

Harry nodded. “I know some of the people in this building.”

 

It was strange to talk about himself and Liam from an outsider’s perspective, and he didn’t know why he’d reveal something like that to Chat Noir. He was probably just tired. Between akuma attacks, patrol, and regular civilian life, Harry didn’t get a lot of sleep.

 

He turned around after a minute, leaping onto the next roof and not feeling an ounce of surprise when Chat Noir landed softly behind him, hardly a second behind.

 

“Why’d we have to go so soon?” Chat asked. “That bakery’s one of my favorites.”

 

Harry smiled, facing away so his partner couldn’t see his face. He worked at that bakery to help pay the rent and it made him proud that, apparently, the heroes of Paris went there. “It’s probably closed, Chat, it’s like 2 in the morning.”

 

He couldn’t see him, but he knew that Chat was rolling his eyes as they leapt onto the next roof on their ambling patrol. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see the smirk that always accompanied a terrible pun sweep across Chat Noir’s face.

 

“I’m sure I could _purr-_ suade you to let us stop for cookies,” he said.

 

Harry groaned loudly, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.

 

Chat Noir laughed, catching up to him and standing alongside him on a high-up ledge.

 

“Why must you make me suf- _fur_ like this,” Harry moaned.

 

A pleased gasp sounded from next to him. Harry cracked an eye open to see Chat Noir’s hands covering his mouth and his eyes practically shooting hearts.

 

“My Lady, did you just make a _cat pun_?” he asked, sounding like this was the most beautiful moment of his entire life. “This is the most beautiful moment of my entire life.”

 

Harry breathed out amusedly, not about to let his partner know just how close to laughter he was.

 

“Try to keep up,” he said, ignoring the comment and already swinging himself onto the next roof.

 

Chat Noir let out another delighted laugh, but followed swiftly. Soon enough, however, he was ready with a retort. As soon as their feet touched the cold shingles of the next roof, he said, “Bug, we both know that my puns are su- _purr-_ ior.”

 

“Oh my _god_ ,” Harry said.

 

Chat Noir just laughed loudly.

 

“I’m never talking to you again,” Harry said, leaping away.

 

Chat Noir followed, still laughing. “Aw, LB, don’t have such a negative _cat_ titude,” he said through his giggles.

 

“Never again in my whole life,” Harry called over his shoulder as he continued moving.

 

“You would never,” Chat protested. His continuing laughter was not helping his case.

 

“Watch me,” Harry called, tamping down a smile.

 

Two roofs later and Chat Noir’s laughter had died down. Harry turned around, suspicious at the silence behind him, and was suddenly grappled into a hug by a short superhero in a black (leather? Rubber? Plastic alloy?) catsuit. Harry let out a yell and nearly tripped over the edge, grabbing back quickly to regain balance.

 

Chat Noir laughed again.

 

Harry groaned. “You are _terrible_.”

 

“I am irresistible,” Chat Noir responded into Harry’s neck, briefly tightening his arms around his waist.

 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Harry said, stepping out of the embrace.

 

Chat Noir looked around, at the moon and dark sky, made soft by clouds. “We don’t seem to do much sleeping,” he said, walking alongside Harry.

 

Harry shook his head at the innuendo but continued to stroll.

 

“We’re busy heroes. Got lots of saving to do, cities to rescue.”

 

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. “We never leave Paris and you know it.”

 

Harry shrugged. “I went to the countryside once, on vacation.”

 

Chat Noir raised his eyebrows. “And how was it? I hope you didn’t find some other superhero to save the town with. Maybe goat themed.”

 

Harry laughed at that. “It was nice, I guess. I prefer the city, I think, but I can imagine settling down there, one day,” he said. Harry glanced at Chat Noir, who was looking out at the view once again. “When I’m too fragile to battle akumas with you anymore, that is.”

 

Chat Noir smiled. “We can go to the same retirement home and bother all the nurses with stories from our youth.”

 

Harry grinned. “I’m not gonna share a litterbox with you, kitty.”

 

Chat Noir smiled back. “You probably want to live in some garden, surrounded by flowers and safe from fearsome predators like me.” He paused and struck a pose.

 

Harry laughed.

 

Chat Noir stepped quickly to catch up. “What, you don’t think I’m scary? Intimidating?” He struck another pose, baring his claws. “Fearsome, even?”

 

Harry laughed again, ducking in to scratch under his chin. “You’re no scarier than a tiny little kitten, Kitten.”

 

Chat pouted, and Harry laughed again.

 

They walked over and around the city for hours, chatting more and laughing more and making bad puns (at least _one_ of them was; Harry only made excellent ones).

 

The next day, Harry woke up late. It didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

 

Actually, he would have slept in later, exhausted from the late patrol two nights in a row, but his little red kwami woke him before he could. The tiny alien tapped his face, calmly waking him up and warning him that he was gonna be late to class -- again.

 

“Ugh, Tikki,” Harry groaned.

 

“Come on, Harry,” she said in her tiny voice. “You can’t sleep all day.”

 

Harry groaned again, rolling over.

 

“It’s already ten-thirty,” she insisted.

 

Finally, Harry got up, throwing on some clothes and brushing his teeth. He checked the clock on his phone: almost eleven.

 

“I’ll never make it walking,” he said to himself. Harry looked around the empty apartment; Liam was already gone, probably gave up on waking him. He knew his best friend had gotten in late, Harry had told him some excuse about a night gardening club. Harry was weird enough that Liam bought it easily. The climbing out the window was harder to explain.

 

Harry glanced back at his kwami. “Maybe Ladybug can make it on time,” he said. “Tikki, _spots on!_ ”

 

The kwami slammed into him, absorbing into his earrings and granting him his powers. A burst of light exploded around him, and seconds later, Harry straightened up, fully transformed into Ladybug. He laughed to himself. “Liam would lose his shit if he knew Ladybug was standing next to his couch,” he said before promptly leaping out the window.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis had a rather rude awakening as his own kwami jumped onto his head.

 

“You’re gonna be fucking late,” Plagg said shortly. He rolled onto his back and threw his head back, brushing his catlike ears against Louis’ face.

 

Louis groaned, pulling the sheets above his head. “Fuck off, Plagg,” he muttered through them. It was probably his fault that the little alien had begun to curse.

 

Plagg floated up, shrugging where Louis couldn’t see him. “Whatever.”

 

He curled up on the nightstand and laid right back down to sleep. Not for long, though, as Louis’ hand soon snaked out of the sheet cocoon and began to slam around the little table, searching for his phone. Plagg huffed at him and flew right back into the small white trash can he lived in. Sometimes Louis felt like he really got the short end of the stick on kwamis.

 

He finally found his phone and pulled it into the white covers.

 

“Shit,” he hissed upon seeing the time. Almost eleven. He had a class in six minutes and a fifteen minute walk.

 

“Fuck!” he yelled as he put his clothes on.

 

“Shit!” he yelled as he shoved his feet in his shoes, foregoing socks to make up the seconds.

 

“Aargh,” he groaned as he brushed his teeth furiously.

 

He looked at the time again. It was too late for him to be on time.

 

He cracked his neck. “Guess Chat Noir’s going to help me make it, then. Plagg, _claws out_!” he called, posing as his kwami was pulled, yelling, into his ring. A burst of green light surrounded him as he transformed, and he emerged in his black suit, leather tail swinging happily behind him. Louis grinned as he leaped out his own window. Being Chat Noir and its accompanying freedom always made him feel better.

 

He burst into class a few minutes late, dressed as himself once more.

 

“Sorry,” he said to the teacher with a remorseful face. The teacher waved him off and Louis took his seat next to Niall without an issue. Being cute had its perks.

 

“Late again,” Niall whispered. “Even Harry was on time today.”

 

Louis rolled his eyes. “Oh, Niall, it just isn't fair if I’m beautiful, clever, _and_ good at managing my time.”

 

Niall snorted. “It’s not fair either if you're none of those at all, and yet, here you are.”

 

Louis punched him in the shoulder. “Fuck off.”

 

The professor continued to lecture, but Louis wasn’t paying as much attention as he should have been. He was still half asleep, and less than twelve hours off from Ladybug finally playing along and making puns with him. It was every boy’s dream, staying out late with his love and messing around under the stars. Well, under the clouds and light pollution, anyway. Close enough.

 

He drifted off in class, lost in his daydreams of Ladybug and replaying the deep sound of his laugh over and over again in his head.

 

Niall shoved him awake.

 

“What-” he said, lifting his head. He looked around at the students filing out. “Whoops.”

 

Niall shrugged. “Don’t worry, bro, you can see my notes later. I let you sleep because you look worn out.”

 

Louis nodded in appreciation. “Thanks, man. And I’ve got a late night tonight, too.”

 

Niall raised an eyebrow in question.

 

“Some photoshoot,” Louis supplied quickly.

 

“You models,” Niall said, shaking his head, “and your ridiculous schedules.”

 

Louis shrugged in agreement, though it wasn’t strictly true. It was his night to patrol alone, and he wasn’t looking forward to it, but it had to be done. Keeping up his secret was almost as tiring as the work itself sometimes.

 

Louis stood, gathering his bag and walking with Niall out of the classroom.

 

“We’ve got a while before I go to work tonight,” Niall said. “We should go somewhere.”

 

“What is there to do at-” he checked the time on his phone. “-one o’clock on a Wednesday?”

 

Niall shrugged. “Let’s see if anyone can hang.” He looked around before running to Liam.

 

“Hey, Li!” he called. “Liam!”

 

Liam stopped walking and turned. Harry, walking beside him, turned as well.

 

Louis bit his lip. He liked hanging out with everyone, but he was pretty sure Harry hated him. They’d started off a little rocky, what with Chloe being Louis’ only friend and immediately landing him in a feud, and still, Harry could hardly talk to him. He was cool around everyone else; people always said he was such a cool guy, but Louis was pretty sure the two of them had never gotten over their initial issues.

 

He followed Niall over, and arrived in the middle of a conversation.

 

“-new exhibit at the zoo,” Harry was saying in his deep voice.

 

“What is it?” Louis asked.

 

Harry looked over to him and immediately clammed up, cheeks turning pink. Louis twisted his mouth and looked over at Niall for an explanation.

 

“I dunno what it is, like, specifically, but I’m in,” Niall said, bouncing on his toes.

 

“Same,” Liam said.

 

“Ah, but, Lou,” Niall said, making Louis look back over, “they might not let you into some of the scarier places, like the snake habitat, seeing as you’re small enough to be a child.”

 

Louis narrowed his eyes at his best friend. “I,” he said, “am not short.”

 

Niall laughed. “Yeah, okay, sure, Louis.”

 

Liam laughed, too. Louis turned, fast. “What’s that, Lima? You wanna see how fast I can knock you over?”

 

Niall laughed again at that. Louis growled at his friends. “I’m tall,” he insisted. “Taller than Harry, probably, even.”

 

He looked fiercely up at Harry.

 

Harry raised his eyebrows, but kept quiet. A dimple popped into his cheek, and Louis automatically pressed it. Harry flushed a deep pink color, and Louis backed off.

 

“‘M _big_ ,” he said once more.

 

Harry flushed darker. Niall cackled, but what else was new.

 

Louis was still getting used to having friends, especially such good-spirited ones. They hung out at the zoo for a while (the new exhibit was a panther, proudly displayed in a tall black cage), but eventually, they were all tired and hungry, and the four went their separate ways. Louis and Niall walked back to their apartment, and Louis convinced Niall to buy them milkshakes (“Please, Ni, I am a _growing boy_.” “Lou, you haven’t grown since you were twelve”). After that, he pretty much passed out on the couch, and by the time he awoke, Niall was already an hour into his shift at the bar.

 

Louis sat up, running a hand through his messy hair.

 

He groaned at being awake.

 

“You look terrible,” came a voice from some far-off corner of the room.

 

“Shut up, Plagg,” he said grumpily, eyes still closed.

 

A murmur of assent came from the same area.

 

“Sun’s going down,” Plagg commented a few minutes later. Louis had still not moved, sitting up on the couch with his eyes shut and shoulders hunched. “Doesn’t look like there’s gonna be any trouble tonight.”

 

“We’re not getting out of patrol duty tonight,” Louis said, cracking one eye open. Plagg was hovering near his bedroom door, holding a hunk of cheese bigger than himself. Louis frowned. “Why must you eat that smelly fucking cheese?”

 

Plagg laughed. “You know how you’re truly, madly, deeply in love with Ladybug? How you can’t go on without him?”

 

Louis grunted.

 

“That’s me with this cheese,” Plagg said, tossing it into his mouth.

 

Louis groaned and flopped back down.

 

“I don’t want to _devour_ Ladybug,” he muttered.

 

“Don’t you, though?” Plagg said, flitting off to wherever it is he fucked off to so often.

 

Louis rolled off the couch, landing with a _thump_ on the floor.

 

“We should probably get ready for patrol,” he said, voice muffled from where his face was smashed into the rug.

 

Plagg ignored him.

 

“Plagg,” he said, sitting up on the floor. “Let’s go.”

 

He walked into his room, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Claws out,” he said sleepily.

 

The flash of green light woke him up as he transformed. Louis straightened up once he was in his full Chat Noir getup, stretching his back and shoulders. He yawned a little and leaped out the window, into the rapidly darkening night.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry had seen the dark figure dash by his building a few times.

 

He was sat at the window, enjoying his night off and trying not to wake Liam as he painted his fingernails. But this shadowy figure kept making him jump. Harry was pretty sure the bakery was about to get robbed. He opened the window to get a better look. Sure enough, within ten minutes the figure was back, crouching on a roof across the street. It leapt onto a chimney. Harry squinted.  He was pretty sure that the shadowy figure had a… tail.

 

He sighed and leaned back. It was either a furry who wanted to rob the bakery or the mischievous superhero he knew so well. Harry pushed his chair back, blowing on his red nails one more time before quietly slipping into his own kitchen.

 

He shook his head (fondly) as he opened a cabinet and pulled out a bag of cookies he’d made today. _Silly cat_ , he thought. _Probably just wants some pastries again._

 

Harry walked back to his window with the bags, slipping out through the frame this time to sit on the roof. He gently closed it behind him, so he wouldn’t wake his sleeping flatmate, and turned around. The figure was still again, squatting on the roof across the street. Harry knew he was watching him. A chill swept through Harry’s body, from the tips of his sock-clad toes, up his legs, and right up to the base of his skull, following the curve of his spine. He probably should've changed out of his pajama shorts.

 

“Chat Noir?” he called softly, shifting to a more comfortable position on the roof. It was fairly flat here, curving gently to the bottom and getting steeper as it rose into the sky alongside thousands of others. “I thought you may be kinda hungry,” he said. Goosebumps rose on his skin as his thin, cotton t-shirt waved slightly in the breeze. A curl brushed his face, and in the moments that he looked away from the opposite roof to move it out of the way, Chat Noir leaped onto the roof. When Harry looked back, Chat was just a few feet away.

 

“Hi,” he said, strangely shy. Just because Chat Noir didn’t see that it was him didn’t mean they they weren’t friends. He held up the bag of cookies. “You’ve passed the bakery a couple of times already and I was just thinking that, erm,” he felt ridiculous saying it out loud. “I thought you might want some cookies.”

 

Chat Noir smiled at him, and Harry felt a little more at ease as the familiar voice flowed out.

 

“That’s really thoughtful of you,” Chat said, reaching out.

 

Harry’s bare knuckles brushed against the fabric of his gloves for the first time ever. A spark ignited in his chest, falling down to his stomach and igniting. He ignored it. “Harry,” he said.

 

Chat nodded. “And I’m Chat Noir, obviously, though you can call me ‘Saviour of Paris,’ if you prefer.”

 

Harry laughed. “Seems like a bit much, if you ask me. Is that what you put on your coffee at Starbucks?”

 

It was Chat Noir’s turn to laugh. “Actually, I stick to ‘Honorable Hero’ at coffee shops.”

 

Harry smiled. He felt warmer near his friend, despite the chilly wind making the hairs on his arms stand out. He rubbed them, settling a little lower on the roof.

 

Chat Noir’s blue eyes were drawn to the movement. “Oh, are you cold?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I have blankets in there,” he said, gesturing to his window.

 

“Oh, so you’re the one with the nice lights,” Chat said. “I like them.”

 

Harry smiled. “No, actually, I just like to sit outside of strangers’ windows and offer cookies to passing superheroes.”

 

Chat Noir laughed and sat down next to him. Harry looked at his small frame, sitting crisscross, almost like a much younger boy. He didn’t really know Chat’s age, but it couldn’t have been far from his own.

 

“Hold on,” he said, climbing up, “I’m gonna grab us a blanket.”

 

Chat nodded, already holding a cookie in each hand. Harry climbed in the window with ease and grabbed a blanket. As he climbed back out, he half expected Chat to have left, but there he still was, biting into a cookie and glancing back at him.

 

“Come on,” he said. He offered the bag as Harry sat down next to him, wrapping the blanket around them both. “I’ll share, since you so generously have.”

 

“Thanks,” Harry said, tentatively grabbing a cookie. “So,” he said after taking a bite, “are you a frequent customer of Stop and Smell the Flours Bakery?”

 

Chat grinned. “They’re _so_ good,” he said. “And I do love the name.”

 

Harry laughed. “It’s pretty sweet.”

 

Chat laughed delightedly. “And these cookies are amazing,” he said. He turned to look into Harry’s eyes, and suddenly Harry found himself very close to his cat. “Do you work there?”

 

Harry nodded, smiling bashfully and looking down at his socks. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess you could say I _kneaded the dough_.”

 

It was quiet for a second as a grin sprouted on each of their faces. Chat Noir laughed loudly and uproariously.

 

“Oh my god,” he said, clutching his stomach. “That was good. That was good.”

 

Harry laughed as well, smiling up into the night sky. It was nice to hang out with Chat like this, without all the flirting and attempts at romance. It was nice to see him in such an unpressured context, happily eating cookies and enjoying the company.

 

“You know, I wasn’t looking forward to patrolling the city alone tonight,” Chat began to say, “but I think you’ve just made it worth my while, Harold.”

 

Harry smiled. “That’s a nice sentiment, but my name’s not Harold.”

 

“What a shame. Harold’s a nice name. Very kingly.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes.

 

“What, you don’t believe me?” Chat said, smirking. “There were lots of kings named Harold! Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England!”

 

Harry laughed. “That’s not true,” he said.

 

“It is,” Chat said. “I would know, I know everything.”

 

Harry laughed again. “You’re just making shit up, Kitty Cat.”

 

Chat gasped dramatically, bringing a hand to his chest. “Making shit up?” he asked dramatically. “Harold, you _wound_ me.”

 

Harry laughed again. He rather liked interacting with his partner like this.

 

The two of them sat there for who knows how long, eating too many cookies than what’s healthy and talking in the dim light from the yellow lamps below and golden sliver of moon. The glow provided a soft light on their faces, hardly illuminating Chat at all as he gestured dramatically and laughed happily, closing his eyes and smiling wide. Harry practically glowed himself; he thrived off of the joy and attention of his friend. Most of all, however, he loved seeing this side of Chat Noir, the one uninhibited by his crush or any impending danger.

 

But eventually, Harry began to drift off on Chat’s warm shoulder, and he had to admit how late it was getting. The exchange of goodbyes was short and unsure, but as Harry fell asleep in his own bed, window ajar and soft light outlining his face, a smile graced his lips. He had good dreams that night.

 

Meeting up when Chat Noir’s on patrol became a thing for them, somehow. Every third night, Harry would wait at his window for the telltale shadow, sometimes with snacks, sometimes without, but always with a dimpled smile and electricity in his stomach. They’d sit and chat and Harry’s sleep schedule suffered for it, taking all of his nights now rather than just two-thirds of them, but somehow it was worth it. They got along like a house on fire, and within a few nights, the two became close.

 

Harry had already been close with him, obviously, being his teammate, but this Chat Noir was almost a different Chat than the one he fought akumas with. Or maybe it was Harry who was different.

 

_(“What does this one mean?” Chat asked, tracing a gloved finger over the ink on Harry’s bicep._

 

_Goosebumps followed the claw’s lightly drawn path. Harry told himself it was the cold air._

 

_“It’s a ship,” he said, watching the hand._

 

_Chat’s finger paused before looping back up._

 

_“I can see that,” he said. “But why?”_

 

_Harry shrugged, looking into Chat’s masked face. “It’s just a boat.”_

 

_Chat scoffed. “Please, it’s not just a boat,” he mocked Harry’s deep voice. “People don’t just get tattoos because they think they look cool.”_

 

_Harry shrugged. He lifted a hand to Chat’s face, tracing the edges of the mask and watching his fingers as if they were someone else’s._

 

_“How would you know?” he asked._

 

_Chat rolled his eyes. “This suit isn’t my skin, you know. I’ve got arms to match my face.” He paused, considering his mask. “Well, my neck, anyways.”_

 

_Harry nodded, still tracing the outside of the mask. “So you have tattoos, then?”_

 

_Chat nodded._

 

_“Can I see them?”_

 

_Chat laughed. Harry wasn’t sure what was funny._

 

_“My secret identity wouldn’t be very useful if I just went around showing people what I really looked like, would it be, Harold?”_

 

_Harry shrugged. “Oh, right.”_

 

_Chat laughed. “And I must keep it a secret. Even Ladybug doesn’t know who I really am.” He sighed quietly._

 

_Harry bit his lip. He suddenly had a ridiculous urge to reveal his own identity to Chat, if only to wipe that look off his face. Harry blinked, willing the silly whim away._

 

_“It’s okay, Chaton,” he said, lifting Chat’s chin with two fingers. “I’ll just tell you about some of mine.”)_

 

Harry climbed back in the window a little earlier than usual one night (he wasn’t sure what number it was, they all went so nicely that he hadn’t been counting). He closed the latch on the window behind him gently, turning around to face his dark room and dropping a bag of crumbs in the trash.

 

A lamp switched on across the room to reveal Liam, sitting up at his desk.

 

“So,” he said. “Are you gonna tell me how you became so tight with Chat Noir?”

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“I have the biggest news,” Liam announced at the official Ladybug Fan Club meeting.

 

“Didn’t you already, like, two weeks ago?” Chloe asked, inspecting her nails and not deigning to even grace Liam with a look.

 

Liam ignored her. “I’ve developed a source close to Ladybug,” he said smoothly.

 

Chloe looked up, interested and not even trying to feign indifference.

 

“Really?” Louis asked, sitting up straight.

 

“Well, sort of,” Liam said, shifting from all the attention. Even Chloe’s minion friend was looking at him. “My friend - Harry,” he said, “recently became friends with Chat Noir.”

 

Chloe slumped. “Big deal,” she said. “He’s just some sidekick. Let me know when you get something real, right, Petra?”

 

Petra made herself small. “Harry is?” she asked quietly.

 

Liam nodded, and Petra blushed. Something clicked in Liam’s brain, and his eyebrows lifted a touch with realization.

 

Louis smirked to himself. Chat Noir certainly was friends with Harry. He would know, as he’d spent hours sitting with him on the roof of Louis’ favorite bakery the night before. He tilted his head as he thought about it a little more. He wondered what would happen if he showed Harry who he really was. Louis scoffed at himself. If anything, this experience had shown him just how much Harry must hate him. He was so different with Chat, so charming and interesting. Much more talkative, too. Not that it was difficult. Besides, he couldn’t break the pattern they had. He couldn’t shatter the soft atmosphere they’d cultivated -- not even cultivated, it had been soft and gentle from the start. Harry had been so sweet, even just noticing him. But bringing him cookies? Who was this sweet angel of a boy?

 

Louis focused back in on Liam as he mentioned Ladybug.

 

Louis’ heart began to beat faster. There hadn’t been any akumas all week -- a rare quiet in their busy crime fighting schedule -- so he hadn’t got as much time with him as he’d prefer. Louis rested his chin on his palm. He missed Ladybug, honestly. He still saw him, every third night, actually, but it wasn’t _enough_ . He just -- Louis was _so in love with him_ . And it was ridiculous, because he didn’t even know his real name, didn’t know what he looked like, where he lived, even what his favorite food was, but -- he _loved_ him. _So_ much. So much that he couldn’t even -- like, he could write so many songs to try to express just a corner of it.

 

Louis jumped, hearing Liam say the name that wouldn’t stop ringing through the atrium of his heart.

 

“-Ladybug’s secret identity,” he finished.

 

“Sorry, what?” Louis said. “I got distracted.”

 

“Distracted?” Liam said. “How can you be distracted? We’re over here putting together the most amazing, exciting, daring-”

 

“Dastardly,” Louis added.

 

“Yes! Wait, no,” Liam said, furrowing his eyebrows. _He must have picked that up from Harry_ , Louis thought idly. “We’re just trying to get me an interview with Ladybug for the blog.”

 

Louis pouted. “How exciting can it be if it’s not even a little mischievous?”

 

Liam raised his eyebrows. “You don’t think an interview with Ladybug’s exciting?”

 

“It’s not like he’s gonna just come out with his secret identity then and there,” Louis said. Then, at the shadow of a pouty look on Liam’s face: “But I’m sure he’ll be really excited to hang out with you,” he added quickly.

 

Liam grinned. “That would be cool.”

 

“How are you gonna do this?” Chloe asked.

 

Liam shrugged. “I’m gonna ask Harry if he can get some help from Chat Noir.”

 

Louis smirked to himself. If only Liam knew.

 

“You’re asking Harry?” Petra piped up.

 

Louis turned around quickly, narrowing his eyes.

 

“Yeah,” Liam said.

 

She turned a little pink. “Can I help?”

 

Louis squinted, pursing his lips. He didn’t know what was coming over him, but his stomach suddenly felt like it had fallen three stories without the rest of him.

 

Liam nodded slowly. “Alright. If you want to.”

 

Louis turned back around. “Let’s focus on Ladybug,” he said. His voice sounded too loud, even to him, but he didn’t know how to stop. “What are you gonna ask him? Where do you wanna meet?”

 

Liam blinked. “I was thinking we’d just sit at a park, around sunset, when it’s quietest.”

 

Louis nodded. “And you want Chat Noir to ask Ladybug to show up then?”

 

Liam shrugged. “That’s the idea.”

 

Louis nodded again, slowly.

 

Liam turned to the whole group, gesturing excitedly as he spoke. “So I’ll just relay the info to Harry, who’ll tell his new friend, and I’ll let you guys know how it goes!”

 

Louis was already sitting on the roof that night when Harry climbed out of his window.

 

“Harold!” he called out, turning around to face him with a bright smile.

 

Harry smiled the way Louis liked, all dimples and scrunched-up nose. “Hello,” he responded in his deep voice.

 

He settled down next to the smaller boy, Louis watching him as he got himself situated.

 

Harry looked up at him. “What?” he asked. “Why do you look so pleased?”

 

Louis laughed. “No reason,” he said.

 

Harry leaned in, narrowing his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

 

Louis smiled back again. There was lots of things, actually, that he wasn’t telling Harry, like his secret identity, for instance. He suddenly bounced forward and tapped Harry on the nose. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he said.

 

Harry leaned back on his arms and laughed. “Alright,” he said agreeably. “I guess I won’t ask my question, then.”

 

The lights reflected in his eyes gave them a shine that perfectly showcased his amusement. Louis leaned in again, suspicious.

 

“What is it?” he asked.

 

Harry was clearly trying not to smile, but also clearly failing.

 

“What?” Louis asked.

 

Harry laughed quietly. “My friend Liam asked me to do him a favor,” he said. “I only agreed because he threatened to jump out here himself and yell it at you.”

 

Louis looked at him questioningly. It wasn’t that interesting. He already knew what it was. So why was Harry so amused?

 

“And…?” he prompted when Harry didn’t continue, smiling to himself as he looked out over the bakery’s little area of street.

 

Harry shrugged, still smiling with those shiny eyes. “He wanted you to relay a message to Ladybug,” he said.

 

Louis felt like he was missing something as Harry bit his lip to keep from giggling.

 

“Okay,” he said slowly.

 

Harry finally turned to look at him. Louis realized he wasn’t even sitting, anymore, but resting on his the balls of his feet, leaned over Harry with one arm holding him inches from his friend. He blinked, and settled back into a seated position. He felt so distant, all of the sudden.

 

Harry’s eyes were still shining with mirth. Louis was sure his looked confused as fuck, because that’s what he was. Confused as _fuck_.

 

“Liam wanted me to ask you to ask Ladybug if he’d meet him in this park at this time,” he said, handing Louis a folded slip of paper.

 

Louis was pretty sure he’d figured out the joke.

 

“Is there a dick drawn on this piece of paper,” he said flatly. “Are you trying to get me to give Ladybug a piece of paper with a penis drawn on it.”

 

Harry laughed, “No, no! Open it, really, I’m not.”

 

Louis eyed him one more time before opening the folded paper. He wasn’t quite sure what was up when he did, because all that was there was the promised place and time. He raised an eyebrow at Harry.

 

“I could draw a dick on it, if you’d like,” Harry suggested.

 

Louis swatted him with the paper.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry froze, one leg already out his open window and hair up and out of the way in a bun when he heard the door unlock. He froze, left shoulder still pushing against the frame.

 

“Harry?” Liam asked from the doorway, directly across from his flatmate.

 

“Hi,” Harry said, as casually as he could muster.

 

“What are you doing, there?” Liam asked.

 

Harry looked right back at him, face still frozen. “What?’

 

Liam took a step closer. “Why are you climbing out the window?”

 

Harry looked down at himself, foot planted firmly on the roof. “Oh, this?” he asked. Harry shrugged. His shoulder hit painfully on the frame. “Ow- um, I’m just, you know…”

 

Liam raised his eyebrows expectantly.

 

“I heard there was an akuma attack nearby and I wanted to see if I could spot it from the roof,” Harry said.

 

“Shit!” Liam yelled, jumping into action. “I better get down there before Ladybug does, for the _Ladyblog_! See you, mate!”

 

Liam sprinted right back out the door he had just walked in through, slamming it behind him.

 

Harry climbed the rest of the way out of the window, transforming behind the chimney.

 

He rubbed his hurt shoulder as he sprinted over the shingles, throwing his yo-yo and swinging his way quickly towards the trouble.

 

Harry landed on a knee on the pavement in front of the villain, feeling like the coolest person in the world as he straightened up and transitioned seamlessly into another, just as intimidating pose.

 

He snapped into action, guiding citizens away as he walked towards the supersized villain, who was jumping around in a fountain and grabbing people as they tried to run.

 

“Go that way, there’s a bakery that will take you under cover,” he directed to a mother who was trying to pull her two children away.

 

He heard police cars and news vans pull up behind him and kept walking towards the villain, head held high.

 

“Hey!” he called to the monster, who stopped snatching for citizens to look up at him. It glared back at him

 

“Ladybug,” it snarled. “How kind of you to show up early. The _real_ show won’t be happening until sunset.”

 

Harry glared right back. “I do so love to be polite,” he responded. “But I’m afraid I’m gonna have to cut this party short.”

 

He leaped at the monster, throwing his yo-yo ahead of him. The thing grunted angrily, swatting at it, but the string tangled around its arm. It yelled in frustration, dropping the citizens in its huge hands. They fell with a splash into the fountain and immediately began to scramble away.

 

Harry needed to buy time for them to get away, and his eyes were drawn to the empty grassy area behind the fountain. Harry pulled the string taut, jerking the monster’s arm as he tried to untangle himself. Harry began to sprint, running past the fountain and wrapping the string of his yo-yo around the giant body of the villain.

 

Horns honked louder as Harry got closer to the traffic. Half of the cars were empty, doors swinging open as the citizens ran for cover, and the other half contained drivers so determined to weave through the traffic that they risked their own safety for it. Harry tried to stop, but slid on the thick grass, coming to a stop nearly horizontal next to one of these. He had, however, succeeded in getting the villain’s attention.

 

Its shadow stretched towards him as it stood up straight and began to walk towards Harry, its weight slowing it down to an ambling walk. Harry made a note of that before getting up himself.

 

He turned to the civilian car to yell a warning, and froze at the sight of the face behind the window. His eyes grew wide and his cheeks pinkened as he looked, and that wasn’t a reflection in the glass but Louis Tomlinson’s face which mirrored his own expression.

 

Harry was rooted to the spot, and hardly even registered that this was terrible, terrible timing to discover that Louis was into Harry- well, Ladybug, enough that he blushed at the sight of him. Horrible, dreadful time because not only did Harry not have the time to properly process this development, but their lives were in immediate danger. Well, shit.

 

“You…” he managed to say before the slackening of the string in his hands reminded him what was at stake here. “You have to get to safety,” he said, steeling himself and snapping into battle mode. Louis’ hand was on the edge of the open window, and it would be so easy for him to put his own on top. Harry blinked the thought away, lowering into a fighting stance and getting ready to pull with all his might.

 

“Go,” he said one more time, glancing over his shoulder at the other boy, who was still staring at him with pink cheeks and starry eyes.

 

Harry refocused again before he could get drawn into those eyes again and pulled on his rope, tripping the monster as it lumbered towards him and Harry began to run towards it.

 

He sprinted right past it, pulling it into a little spinning circle which tore up the grass. Oopsies.

 

Harry looked back across the park, but the black car containing Louis was now wide empty, doors still swinging from the inhabitants’ exits. Harry exhaled a relieved breath.

 

“Who knew a Ladybug would be so opposed to local horticulture,” a voice called from on top of the tall fence behind Harry. He turned around to see Chat Noir jumping down off of it to land next to him.

 

“Little late today, huh, Kitty Cat?”

 

Chat Noir shrugged. “Got stuck in traffic, but at least I’m here meow!”

 

Harry gave him a flat look.

 

Chat laughed at him, leaning in closer. “I know you love my puns, Bugaboo.”

 

Harry blinked at him, expressionlessly communicating his unamusement. “That’s _purr-paw-_ sterous.”

 

Chat Noir gasped dramatically, clutching his hands to his chest in joy with a smile more delighted than Harry felt was warranted. “Did you just-”

 

Harry sighed, hiding the swell of pride he felt in his chest. “There’s an akuma on the ground over there, remember?”

 

“Right,” Chat Noir responded, facing back just in time to be swatted by a giant fist.

 

“Shit!” he yelled as he flew back, hitting the fence behind them hard.

 

Harry turned to face the monster when he saw his partner get back up.

 

“Alright,” he said, “if that’s how you want to do things.”

 

He ran for it again, throwing his yo-yo and binding the monster in its string, but he knew they’d need to find something more permanent. Chat Noir, meanwhile, got up behind him and walked up to stand next to Harry, metal staff out and ready to fight.

 

“I think he’s holding it in his hand,” Harry said, pulling a bit more on the string as the monster fought against him. “He hasn’t opened it once.”

 

Chat nodded. “I’ll go get it,” he said, starting off towards the monster.

 

“Not so fast,” Harry said, pulling the leather tail trailing behind him and stopping Chat in his tracks.

 

“What’s wrong?” Chat asked. “You’ve got him all tied up,” he gestured to the struggling monster.

 

Harry gave him a look. “How are you gonna get the akuma out of his hand if it’s tied to his leg?”

 

Chat Noir paused. “...Right.”

 

He stopped pulling and turned to his partner. “So what do we do?”

 

Harry pulled on the string again to keep it tied tight and winced when his shoulder reminded him of the forming bruise.

 

“You alright?” Chat asked, concerned.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Harry responded quickly. “Just bumped my shoulder earlier. Right now, though, I’m thinking we need to get that akuma to open its hand.”

 

Chat Noir nodded, glancing back at the monster. “Any bright ideas?”

 

Harry bit his lip and nodded. “Keep him occupied.”

 

Chat nodded, then Harry pulled his yo-yo back to himself as Chat ran towards the villain with his staff out and ready to strike. Harry threw his yo-yo up in the air and shouted, “ _Lucky charm!_ ”

 

A red and black-spotted metal staff, similar to Chat’s, landed in his arms.

 

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Harry muttered.

 

Chat glanced back. “Bug!” He noticed the staff and continued to talk to his partner as he leaped around the giant, frustrated villain. “Imitation _is_ the sincerest form of _cat_ -tery.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes at the pun and looked around for a way to put this to use. His eyes caught on the closed fist of the akuma and he smiled confidently as an idea formed. Harry bent the pole into a u-shape and ran towards the fight on the other end of the lawn.

 

“Get him to swipe at you!” he called at Chat Noir.

 

“He isn’t already?” Chat called back, ducking another blow.

 

“We’re gonna push it out of his fist!” Harry yelled back, ignoring the complaint.

 

Chat nodded at him, understanding what he needed to do and trusting his partner.

 

Harry ran towards them and, when the giant arm reached once more, slammed the pole over it, essentially stapling it to the ground. Chat jumped on top of the curved metal, slamming it farther into the earth as the monster yelled again, and he slammed his staff into the center of the closed fist.

 

The monster yelled as a black butterfly emerged from the fist, flying out from the broken remains of the object Chat had just flattened.

 

Harry was ready, spinning his yo-yo and catching it before it could get far. “Time to de-evilize!” he shouted.

 

A burst of white light spread from the yo-yo, and a white butterfly gently flew away from the blast. Harry waved sweetly. “Bye-bye, little butterfly.”

 

He pulled the bent pole from the earth and threw it up in the air.

 

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

A swarm of ladybugs exploded from it, swooping quickly around the scene and restoring the damage. Grass sprouted back from the trenches they’d dug, the fountain straightened itself out, and, where the monster had lain just seconds before, a confused but de-transformed citizen sat up.

 

“What’s going on?” she asked, rubbing her head.

 

Harry fist bumped Chat Noir, who was smirking and chuckling.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“Nothing,” Chat replied, wiping at his smile. “Your whole transformation sequence is just so extra,” he laughed.

 

Harry crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “ _You’re_ saying _I’m_ extra?”

 

Chat laughed again, and was interrupted by the beeping of Harry’s earrings.

 

“You better go,” he said. “Time’s almost up, and your carriage is about to become a pumpkin again.”

 

Harry laughed. “See you next time, Kitty!”

 

And he ran from the park, rubbing his shoulder.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis dropped heavily onto his seat in class two days later, sighing. He was _so_ fucking tired. Between his job, akuma attacks, patrolling the city, and writing essays, he was hardly getting any sleep at all. Not that he didn’t love being Chat Noir or sitting with Harry on the roof of the bakery -- it just meant that he was _exhausted_ all the time. And even when he did sleep, his dreams were plagued by his masked love: the elusive Ladybug. Normally, he’d love those dreams Ladybug starred in, but lately, they’d been a series of him getting so close, only to have him dissolve just before Louis could touch his face. It was, in a word, terrible.

 

Louis was brought from his thoughts by a movement behind him. Liam and Niall had arrived and were taking their seats.

 

Louis grunted a greeting, too tired to properly say hello.

 

“Someone’s grumpy,” Liam said, raising an eyebrow.

 

Niall chuckled. “He’s always grumpy,” He rubbed Louis’ unstyled hair, making it fluff up. “Lou’s like a little disgruntled kitten.”

 

Louis glared at him. “I am not _little_ ,” he said.

 

Niall laughed, taking his seat next to Louis. “Of course not, Lou.”

 

Louis glared at him a second longer before turning to Liam.

 

“Li,” he said, “I want to help you in your quest to find Ladybug’s identity.”

 

“Kind of an abrupt transition there,” Liam commented.

 

“And the whole ‘quest’ thing seems a tad overdramatic,” Niall commented.

 

“Do you want my help or not?” Louis asked.

 

“He’s got deep pockets,” Niall said. “Could be useful to have someone who’s able to summon private helicopters dipped in gold.”

 

Louis smacked him.

 

“I wouldn’t turn down some help,” Liam said. “Got anything specific in mind?”

 

Niall cut in. “What if you jumped on people and just, like, randomly slapped red masks on their faces,” Niall cackled.

 

Louis smacked him.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Niall,” Liam said.

 

“Alright, alright,” Niall laughed.

 

“Do you even want to help?” Louis asked.

 

Niall shrugged. “‘T’s not like I have anything better to do.”

 

Harry suddenly arrived and sat at his own desk behind Louis, yawning.

 

“Morning,” he said in a sleepy, deep, _gravelly_ voice. Louis was more into it than he cared to admit.

 

Liam turned to his friend. “Late night?”

 

Harry nodded, sinking low onto the desk.

 

Niall laughed, wagging his eyebrows. “Tommo, here, had one too.”

 

Louis threw his empty coffee cup at Niall. Not that Niall knew it was empty. He yelped and ducked, making it hit him square in the face. Niall blinked in confusion and Louis laughed.

 

They turned back to the conversation just in time to catch the tail end of a meaningful look on Liam’s face. Louis turned back to Harry, who was yawning again. He held in a smile, because Louis knew where Harry had been hanging out last night. Where he’d been hanging out every third night for a while, now.

 

Last night in particular, he had brought Chat Noir chocolate croissants, one of Louis’ favorites. They were delicious, as everything from the bakery was. Louis wished he had one now.

 

“So, Harold, up to anything particularly wild last night?” he asked, grinning and leaning in.

 

Harry’s cheeks pinkened. “Not really,” he said, shrinking away.

 

Louis leaned back a little, grin fading a touch. He didn’t know why his classmate hated Louis while he enjoyed the company of Chat Noir so much, but the irony wasn’t lost on him. To be honest, he was kind of sad that Harry didn’t like him, because now that he’d gotten close to him, Louis really enjoyed his company.

 

Harry was clever and funny and happy and clumsy and sweet and utterly ridiculous but somehow even more endearing for it. Looking at Harry and listening to his thoughts was utterly captivating, like staring up into the universe with no clouds or smog to block the infinite view, so you could see through to all the galaxies and stars and color. It was sad that it was something Louis could only experience under the disguise of the night.

 

Louis blinked. The conversation had moved on without him.

 

“A T-rex or Liam?” Niall was asking.

 

“A T-rex?” Liam asked incredulously. “I want to say me, obviously, but it just isn’t fair to pit me against a dinosaur!”

 

Harry laughed. Louis beamed at the image and tucked the memory away safely.

 

“The T-rex,” he said definitively.

 

Liam laughed and poked his shoulder.

 

“Excuse me, Liam,” Harry said, mock-offendedly.

 

Liam responded with a crinkly-eyed laugh.

 

Niall cackled again. That boy never stopped laughing.

 

“Oh, hey,” Niall said, turning to Louis. “I just remembered; we’re going to the arcade later, right? After your art history class, right?”

 

Louis nodded. “Yeah, mate, excited for it.”

 

Niall grinned. “Sweet.”

 

Liam leaned forward. “Which arcade are you guys going to? I’ve heard the one by the bakery is good.”

 

Harry nodded. “Yeah, it’s really, erm,” he made eye contact with Louis and stuttered, eyes going wide and cheeks going red. “Great- um, they’ve games got good. Games good. They -- they have…” he bit his lip and looked down at his desk.

 

Louis bit his own lip.

 

“Yeah,” Niall continued, paying no attention to the minor stroke Harry had just experienced. What a good friend. “‘Ve heard they’ve got loads of retro shit, you know, like from the ‘80s and all.”

 

Liam nodded. “We go down there sometimes,” he said, gesturing between himself and Harry.

 

The simple movement made Louis’ chest twinge for some reason, in a feeling akin to jealousy. But that would be ridiculous. He was going there today.

 

“Yeah?” Niall asked. “Do they let you bring in snacks?”

 

Liam laughed. “I don’t know if they’ve got a policy on it, mate.”

 

Niall shrugged. “I would’ve brought it anyways.”

 

Their professor spoke up then, ending the conversation.

 

“Okay, we were supposed to do a bunch of notes today but I have a headache so we’re gonna watch some cat videos and go home.”

 

Louis and Niall cheered.

 

He winced. “Headache,” he said again.

 

“Oops!” Louis said quietly and apologetically. “Sorry.”

 

He nodded and turned on the projector.

 

It was one of Louis’ more pleasurable classes of the week.

 

“Dude,” Niall said as they were getting up a few minutes later, “meet me in four hours by Stop and Smell the Flours, alright?”

 

Louis nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it,” he said.

 

He missed it.

 

Four and a half hours later, he ran up to Niall outside the bakery, regret spelled out all over his face.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

 

Niall stood with his arms crossed, unimpressed. “Again,” he said.

 

Louis bit his lip. He wished he could tell Niall the truth, but he couldn’t very well just pop out and say “Hey, man, just FYI, but I’m that cat dude who runs around fighting dangerous villains every week -- and, oh, yeah, by the way, I’ve been lying to you about it for a year now.” It would be ridiculous. And, as Ladybug always painfully reminded him, secret identities were called that for a reason.

 

Louis bit his lip. “I had a work emergency,” he tried. It wasn’t exactly false.

 

Niall raised an unimpressed eyebrow. He was generally a chill dude, but Louis could tell that he was _pissed_.

 

“A modelling emergency? What happened, Lou? Did a photographer develop a pressing need to photograph you _right away_?” he said coldly.

 

Louis felt terrible. He hung his head in shame and wished he could just tell Niall the truth.

 

“If you’re gonna blow me off,” Niall said, “ _again_ , at least don’t lie to me about it.”

 

He brushed past him and left. Louis stared hopelessly after his best friend.

 

Louis began to slowly walk home; Niall probably needed his space for now.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“There are _over a dozen people in this class and NONE OF US CAN AGREE ON WHAT LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR LOOK LIKE?_ ”

 

Kim was standing up on his desk, gesturing wildly and frustratedly. None of the class noticed, however, as all seventeen of the students were busy arguing. Loudly. Almost all, that is.

 

Harry was slumped over on his desk, chin on his folded arms as he tiredly watched Chloe and Niall yell about the length of Ladybug’s hair.

 

“I’m telling you, I’ve seen him up close! Ladybug has shoulder-length, wavy hair!” Chloe was yelling, shoulders tense and looking ready to spring at Liam’s face.

 

“Girl, no,” Niall argued. “He always has his hair in that bun, but it’s definitely longer than that! And it’s not _wavy_ , it’s curly _as fuck_.”

 

Harry sighed. He turned his head, observing Petra looking about ready to smack Liam.

 

“He’s probably got some sort of magical disguise magic,” Liam snapped. “So nobody can really tell what he looks like and protect his secret identity.”

 

“That’s _ridiculous_ , he already wears a _mask_ ,” Petra said (yelled).

 

Liam gave her a withering look. “Yeah, because a _mask_ is gonna stop people from recognizing their best friend fighting supervillains.”

 

Petra sprang at him. Harry averted his attention so he’d have a veritable excuse for not jumping to his friend’s defense.

 

“He’s taller than me!” Chloe was saying angrily. “I’d _know_ , _I’m_ his _best friend_.”

 

Niall snorted loudly.

 

Chloe slapped him with her little purse. Niall growled -- literally _growled_ at her.

 

Harry heard a groan from his left. He swivelled back to face it.

 

It was Louis, the only other one sitting down sleepily, with a reluctant look on his face.

 

“Is it bad if I don’t intercede to stop my best friend from being beat up with a designer clutch?”

 

Niall was currently bent over on the floor, crying uncle as Chloe ruthlessly slammed him with her pink leather bag.

 

Harry laughed, watching Louis watch the fight, unmoving.

 

Suddenly, a loud sound across the room caught their attention.

 

“Don’t be stupid, Liam,” a girl was yelling derisively from a few desks down. “If Ladybug had some sort of _magical_ _disguise_ , wouldn’t he make himself look _attractive_?”

 

Liam and Chloe both froze, swivelling and glaring simultaneously.

The girl continued, ignorant of the imminent danger. “Like, he wouldn’t give himself that messy bun and those beady dark eyes!”

 

Liam and Chloe leapt at her with a yell.

 

Harry drew a hand to his mouth in shock. “Oh, _shit_.”

 

He looked around at the fighting classmates. Who knew the people cared so much about Ladybug and Chat Noir’s appearances?

 

He heard a sigh from in front of him. Harry glanced at Louis once more.

 

The other boy was slumped over his desk, as Harry had been a few minutes ago. Louis shook his head, watching his finger trace a shape on the wood under him.

 

“Green,” he muttered. “Ladybug’s eyes are green.”

 

The butterfly tattooed on Harry’s stomach was suddenly flapping its wings, shifting around all the intestines and tapping a beat on his ribcage.

 

His attention was suddenly caught on a yell from a few desks down. Harry’s gaze was jerked from Louis’ form as he gaped in horror at Liam. His best friend was practically burning with rage, leaning over the girl who had questioned his theory. The poor girl would probably never dare to even speak in the same room as either Chloe or Liam ever again.

 

Harry finally stood up and rushed to the other side of the room, grabbing Liam and pulling him off of the girl.

 

“Stop, Harry, stop!” Liam argued, grabbing at the air angrily.

 

“Li, Liam, man,” Harry said, pulling him away. “Stop fighting.”

 

“She insulted Ladybug!” Liam said indignantly, in the tone one would use to defend the honor of their mother.

 

Harry chuckled at his friend’s loyalty. “It’s not like he can’t take it,” he pointed out.

 

Liam pouted at him. “It’s about the principle of it, _Harry_.”

 

“I know, _Liam_ ,” he said back.

 

Harry glanced back at the scuffle behind them and thanked god that he wasn’t responsible for Chloe. She was currently yanking the girl’s hair and threatening her to take it back. Harry had to admit that his fans were loyal and once again reminded himself to never do anything to offend them, upon pain of death.

 

“Yeah, you’re right, Haz,” Liam said, stilling. “Let’s go.”

 

Harry nodded and let go of his friend’s arms.

 

Liam immediately leapt toward the girl to reprimand her.

 

Harry watched his friend go with a frustrated look and a small stomp of his boot. He heard a little laugh behind him and spun around.

 

Louis was a few feet away, one hand covering his mouth and the other cutely wrapped around his own waist. He was watching Harry under his long eyelashes and the round pink of his cheeks proved that he was hiding the cutest little smile. Harry immediately melted into a red mess. Louis was too adorable and had caught him with his guard down.

 

“I feel that,” Louis said loudly over the yells of their classmates in relation to Harry’s obvious inner conflict about backing up his friend, and gestured at Niall, who had obtained a purse of his own and was now battling Petra, seemingly to the death.

 

Harry grinned, having painstakingly taken his eyes off the precious boy in front of him. When he swung his gaze back, the adorable had hardened into straight up (gay up) attractive.

 

“Should we leave?” Louis asked, eyebrows raising and small thumb pointed behind him, at the door.

 

This was too much. Harry would die if he spent longer in Louis’ presence.

 

He found himself nodding. “It’s probably safer,” he said monotonously.

 

Louis laughed, louder than was probably warranted, eyes crinkling and grin shining.

 

Harry tripped over a desk when Louis turned around to go.

 

“Shit, are you alright?” Louis said concernedly.

 

Harry blushed again. He was doing a lot of that; he wondered when his blood vessels would get tired.

 

“Oops?” he offered.

 

Louis grinned and offered a hand. “Come on up, Bambi, and let’s get out of here before someone gets killed by a flying shoe.”

 

Harry laughed at that, accepting the dainty hand and pulling himself up. He blinked down at their still entwined hands after he was upright once more.

 

“What?” Louis asked, drawing his own hand closer to himself.

 

“Nothing, sorry, erm,” Harry said.

 

Louis tilted his head. “What?”

 

Harry rubbed his own wrist, right where the tattooed ink of an anchor was permanently embedded. “I just, like, our tattoos - they line up.”

 

Louis looked at his own wrist, where a rope was tattooed into an infinity symbol. He grabbed Harry’s hand again, turning them over a couple of times. Harry wondered how he was still on the ground rather than floating off into the atmosphere.

 

“Look at that,” Louis said, looking up, face breaking into a grin like the sun clearing clouds in the sky. “They match.”

 

Harry was hyper-aware of the way their hands were still clasped together.

 

“Come on, Styles,” Louis said, turning again and pulling him towards the door. “Let’s get out of this war zone.”

 

They headed for the door, and, as Harry ducked under a flying journal, he caught Liam making an exaggerated thumbs up at him from across the room. Harry blushed harder, if it was even possible at this point. The girl Liam was fighting took advantage of his distraction and smacked him in the face with a laptop case. Harry flinched, but grinned at the instant karma for embarrassing him. Harry was quickly whisked out the door by the boy he secretly loved before he could see Liam’s retaliation.

 

Louis let go of his hand when they emerged from the chaotic classroom, but fell back to walk next to Harry. The emptiness of his hand was a shock to Harry’s system, but it was nothing compared to the electricity emanating from the presence just an inch or two by his side. Harry watched his own clumsy feet as they walked together, if only to hide his burning face.

 

Louis was gesturing animatedly as they went. Harry took a pleasure in learning this about him so closely. It reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t quite recall whom. Probably didn’t matter, anyways. He had more important things to focus on.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis walked down a sidewalk with Harry happily, wandering towards nowhere in particular and just enjoying the sunlight and always-there smell of freshly baked bread. He glanced over at the boy beside him, smiling at the smile Harry was directing at the ground. It was nice seeing it in the daylight.

 

Their nights of hanging out together on Harry’s little section of roof had become some of the highlights of Louis’ weeks. Aside from spending time with Ladybug (despite the crime fighting and constant vigilance) and hanging out with Niall, it was the happiest he ever was, and a stark contrast to the loneliness of his home life. Not that he wasn’t used to being alone -- his childhood had given him enough of that.

 

Louis walked a few steps before realizing that Harry had stopped. He turned around and walked towards him.

 

“What’s caught your attention?” he asked.

 

Harry blinked down at him, blushing at being caught distracted.

 

Louis tilted his head and Harry ducked his own shyly. It was -- dare he say it? -- adorable.

 

They began to meander over towards the concrete edge; Harry sat down on a cold metal bench, keeping his eyes focused on the water. Louis, in turn, kept his own eyes fixed on Harry’s contemplative face and the furrow of his brow as he expressed himself.

 

“I like watching the river,” Harry said. “The wind makes the waves…” he muttered the last part, gesturing with his hand. The rings on his fingers glittered in the same way the sun did on the water of the Seine.

 

Louis smiled at the cute little show. “Yeah, that’s true.”

 

Harry looked up at him, smiling wide enough for two dimples to pop into his cheeks.

 

Louis grinned at that. He loved when Harry’s dimples did that; if he had been Chat Noir right now, he would have poked a finger in them happily, but as Louis Tomlinson, he had a name to uphold, and it wouldn’t do to go around poking the faces of pretty boys.

 

After some time spent sitting on a bench by the river and talking brightly, Louis offered to walk Harry home.

 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Harry said.

 

Louis smiled at him. “It’s no problem at all, really, I love that bakery.”

 

Harry grinned. “I work there, you know. ‘M a baker.”

 

Louis did know. “Oh, really? Is that how you got those sweet buns?” he asked before he could stop himself. Harry’s green eyes flew open wide. Louis immediately bit his lip. He was about to stammer out an apology when Harry burst into delighted laughter, even bending to slap his knee.

 

Louis started laughing, too, half from shock and half from the adorableness of Harry’s laughter.

 

Before he knew it, they were back at Stop and Smell the Flours.

 

“Well,” Harry said, dimple still in his cheek (it hadn’t left since the river; Louis felt a strange need to keep it there as long as he lived), “this is it.”

 

Louis stopped walking and looked up at the familiar roof. It was different from street level. “I guess it is.”

 

Harry shifted on his feet. “I’ll see you in class, then?” he asked, cutely biting his lip. His nervousness was adorable, but Louis wished he’d relax, like he did around Louis’ alter-ego. It must have been due to his societal status or something.

 

“I definitely will,” he responded. Louis knew he’d see him sooner than that, though; tomorrow night was his turn for patrol.

 

Later, when he got home alone to his big old empty apartment with its stylishly gray walls and pristine furniture, Louis missed the company. It was as if there was a balloon deflating in chest that he hadn’t noticed until it began to leave.

 

He plopped down on his couch, finally letting Plagg out of his jacket pocket.

 

“ _Finally_ ,” the kwami groaned. “Stuck in that pocket -- starving and alone -- listening to you flirt for what must have been _days_ -”

 

Louis rolled his eyes. “Oh, fuck off,” he said. He pulled his shoes off. “I wasn’t flirting.”

 

Plagg rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Okay. Sure.”

 

Louis padded over to the fridge. “I _wasn’t_.”

 

Plagg followed him. “ _Oh, Harry,_ ” he said in a ridiculous falsetto. “ _Harry, your curls are so cute. The river is so romantic. Your eyes are as green as moldy cheese!_ ”

 

Louis scrunched his nose at his friend. “I didn’t say any of that. And -- moldy cheese? Really?”

 

Plagg shrugged. “Maybe my memory has been affected by my hunger.”

 

Louis tossed him a slice of cheese. “I’ll say.”

 

“You were definitely flirting, though,” Plagg said through a mouthful of cheese.

 

Louis threw up a middle finger. Plagg laughed. “What’s that saying; don’t bite the hand that feeds you?”

 

Plagg cackled. What was so familiar about that -- _shit!_ Louis burst up and grabbed his shoes.

 

“I have to go meet Niall for lunch!”

 

He threw them on and opened up his denim jacket for Plagg to fly into. He did, but not without grumbling.

 

“Shut up,” Louis said, snatching his keys and hurrying to the door. “We’re gonna be late.”

 

He checked the time on his phone as he hurried to the cafe: 1:29. There was no way he was gonna make it on time.

 

Louis ran anyway, fueled by his guilt.

 

He ran up to Niall a few minutes later, late, but not by much.

 

Niall raised an eyebrow, impressed. “I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour.”

 

Louis shrugged sheepishly. “We did say 1:30.”

 

Niall laughed good-naturedly and clapped a hand to his shoulder. “Let’s see if you last the whole meal.”

 

Louis shoved his friend’s hand off of him with grin. “Fuck you.”

 

Niall cackled and they walked into the cafe.

 

Soon enough, they were nestled into a nice little nook in the corner of the room, sitting in intricate metal chairs with a sandwich and a drink for each of them.

 

“I still think we should’ve gone to Stop and Smell the Flours,” Louis said.

 

“Harry’s bakery?” Niall said through a mouthful of food.

 

“You mean the bakery with the most delicious chocolate croissants in the whole world?”

 

“No, I mean the one Harry works at that you’ve started talking about all the time. But, yeah, that too.”

 

Louis scoffed. “I do not talk about that place all the time.”

 

Niall pulled out his phone.

 

“Hey,” Louis said. Niall didn’t look up. “What d’you think you’re doing?”

 

“‘We should stop by that bakery,’” Niall read monotonously off the screen.

 

Louis frowned at the oration of his text. “There are lots of bakeries in Paris,” he defended.

 

Niall’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t look up as he read another one. “‘I would literally take a bullet for a roll from Stop and Smell the Flours.’”

 

Louis ruffled at this personal attack. “I was hungry!”

 

“‘Is it legal to move into a bakery you don’t own.’”

 

Louis scoffed. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

 

“I mean, you could always move in with Harry and Liam if you’re so thirsty for those pastries,” Niall suggested.

 

Louis threw a chunk of bread at him. “Go fuck yourself.”

 

Niall cackled, popping the bread into his mouth.

 

They continued like that for a while, long enough for Louis to forget about the weird balloon feeling in his chest and get swept away by the light conversation.

 

“What the fuck _is_ ‘American cheese?’It’s not even actually cheese-” Niall’s rant was cut off by a loud static sound from every TV in their proximity -- every TV in Paris, maybe.

 

They turned simultaneously to look.

 

A broadcast from across town filled the screens; it seemed an akumatized victim was crashing around a street, toppling cars and causing citizens to scatter.

 

Louis rose quickly. “We should probably leave, it may not be safe.”

 

Niall waved it off. “It’s all the way across the city, Lou, I think we’re fine here.”

 

Louis bit his lip, staring worriedly at the screen. Chat Noir had to get there to keep the akuma from making any more chaos.

 

“Ladybug has arrived on the scene!” A reporter said, strangely calm for someone crouching behind an overturned van. You probably got used to it after a while.

 

Louis glanced at Niall, who was watching him closely.

 

“I’m just worried,” he said. “I think I should go.”

 

Niall looked confused. Louis knew he needed to get to his partner to help.

 

“I just-” Louis said. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Shit, sorry, I have to take this call.” He sprinted out of the cafe with the phone in his hand, leaving Niall sitting in confusion.

 

He weaved through the sidewalk, catching darting glimpses of all sorts of people: tall, short, colorful, a familiar looking blonde boy- Louis jumped into an alleyway before he could think about it too much. He turned a corner in the narrow passageway until he was alone and out of sight.

 

“Plagg, claws out!” he yelled, striking a power pose as green light engulfed him and transformed him into his superhero self.

 

He didn’t hear a little gasp around the corner over the wind whistling in his ears.

 

As soon as Louis was ready, he leaped straight up (with the help of his expanding baton) onto the roof and began to run towards the site of the attack.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry was utterly exhausted the next day as he walked out of class. Between an akuma battle, late-night patrol, and being high on Louis, he hadn’t rested much recently. Harry hadn’t gotten a full night of sleep in _ages_ ; it definitely wasn’t healthy, but it was worth it to protect Paris and hang out with Chat Noir.

 

“Mate, you have to go home and take a nap,” Liam was saying.

 

Harry yawned. “No, ‘m fine…”

 

Liam raised a critical eyebrow. “You’re still in your clothes from yesterday.”

 

Harry mustered a sleepy grin. “At least ‘m not in my sleeping clothes.”

 

Liam grimaced. “It’s probably best to keep that horror between us, for the sake of our classmates’ sanity.”

 

Harry laughed. “I’m sure they’d appreciate it.”

 

Liam laughed again, swinging an arm around his shoulders. “Maybe Petra would…”

 

Niall stepped in line with them. “What’s going on?”

 

Liam grinned at him over Harry. “Harry here is planning a pajama day.”

 

Niall grinned. “Nice! I’m in.”

 

Liam laughed for a moment before letting Niall in on the joke. “Harry sleeps naked.”

 

Niall started cackling so hard that he actually stopped walking.

 

Liam grinned happily, like a proud little puppy. Harry was endeared, though it was hard to feel much at all through his exhaustion.

 

“Whoa, mate, you alright?” Niall suddenly asked, looking at Harry worriedly.

 

“Yeah, ‘m good, just…” Harry yawned. “Tired.”

 

Liam put his arm around Harry’s waist in a quiet effort to prop him up.

 

Harry smiled at him and patted his chest. “Thanks.”

 

Niall grinned. It seemed to be his default emotion. “Hazza, mate, you need to sleep. Go home and take a nap.”

 

Harry shrugged, straightening up in Liam’s grip. “No, I’m fine,” he insisted.

 

Liam shook his head. “Stubborn motherfucker.”

 

Louis walked up to the group. “Somebody say my name?”

 

Niall laughed. “Nobody here _cat_ -called you, Lou.”

 

Louis seemed surprised by the pun; Liam looked confused. Harry was too tired to really feel a reaction, so he just observed.

 

Niall grinned. “What’s wrong? _Cat_ got your tongue?”

 

Louis seemed thrown off.

 

“I don’t get it,” Liam muttered.

 

Harry shrugged.

 

“Niall?” Louis asked.

 

“Yeah, Lou?” Niall responded, chipper as ever. “What’s wrong? You _feline_ alright?”

 

All the cat puns had begun to rest strangely with Harry.

 

“I’m… confused,” Louis finally settled on.

 

“That’s okay, Lou,” Niall continued calmly. “Nothing we need to call any _purr-_ amedics for. That would have been _cat_ astrophic.” Niall winked, grinning widely.

 

Now this was downright suspicious. Even Harry felt it through his sleepy haze.

 

“I’m gonna take Harry home,” Liam cut in. “He needs a nap.”

 

Harry laughed. “Yeah,” he agreed easily.

 

“ _Cat_ ch you later!” Niall called as they walked away.

 

“What was that?” Liam asked as they meandered home.

 

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, but it was really weirding _meow_ -t.”

 

Liam groaned.

 

“Oh, shut it,” Harry said, laughing. “I don’t need your bad _cat_ titude.”

 

“Not you, too!” Liam laughed.

 

“Puns are, like, 58% of my jokes, Lee-yum. You know that,” Harry said earnestly. “I have to defend my _meow_ -n.”

 

Liam laughed. “Like crown? That one was weak. I’m literally about to drop you on the street.”

 

Harry laughed. “I think you mean _litter-_ ally.”

 

Liam sighed dramatically. “I hate you.”

 

Harry grinned and kissed him on the cheek. “Love you, too, Li.”

 

Liam laughed, and the two walked in silence for a moment.

 

“That was weird, though, right?” Liam asked.

 

Harry nodded. “Seemed kinda out of nowhere.”

 

Liam nodded. “What could the context be for cat puns?”

 

Harry stopped walking. He suddenly felt more awake.

 

Harry only knew one person who would drop everything to make a terrible cat pun, and, conveniently, it was someone whose real name he didn’t know.

 

“What?” Liam asked. “H?”

 

Harry shook his head. “Just had a weird idea for a second there.”

 

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Every idea you have is weird.”

 

Harry smacked him. “Fuck off.”

 

Liam laughed, walking quickly to catch up with his newly mobile friend. “Wait, though, what was it?”

 

Harry shrugged. “Just, like…”

 

“What?”

 

“Well, honestly, I’m shocked you haven’t come up with it yet, running that superhero blog and all.”

 

“What are you getting at?”

 

Harry laughed. “I want to wait until it clicks for you.”

 

Liam smacked him in the shoulder. “Dick.”

 

Harry laughed.

 

“Wait, Harry,” Liam said suddenly. “Superhero blog? Are you saying what I think you are?”

 

“Depends,” Harry responded. “What do you think I am?”

 

Liam gave him a look. “You know what you were implying. You think Niall is Chat Noir!”

 

Harry looked back at him. “It’s crazy, right?”

 

Liam shrugged. “Is it?”

Harry glared at him. “I don’t want to talk to Superhero Conspiracy Theorist Supreme Liam right now, I was asking Engineer Major Liam Payne, who uses his common sense and logical reasoning when he speaks.”

 

Liam laughed. “There’s only one Liam. I don’t have any alter-egos. No secrets.”

 

Harry gave him a shit-eating look. “I have a secret.”

 

Liam shot him a flat look. “Fuck _off_.”

 

Harry giggled.

 

The two finally arrived at the door to their building and Liam let them in. They walked up the cold stone stairs, painted white with paint then grey with time and thousands of footprints (and not only on the floor, from the time Liam drunkenly dared Harry to walk on his hands down the stairs. Stupid, drunk Harry accepted. And he almost made it all the way). Harry’s exhaustion once again caught up with him. He nearly sat down on the steps as Liam unlocked the door, and was out of his clothes and in his bed before Liam could even thank him for at least leaving his underwear on.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry’s little stretch of roof was empty that night when Louis, as Chat Noir, leaped onto it. He slunk towards the window, silent and cat-like in the dark, barely visible in the dim light of the streetlamp behind him.

 

Louis peeked into the window frame. It was shut, and the only light filtered in from a different room, too far away to see into. He leaned closer and squinted again, trying in vain to find Harry.

 

All of the sudden, he overbalanced and fell with a crash through the window. Thankfully, it swung open without breaking, but the loud sounds had caught the attention of someone in the apartment. He heard startled talking through the door and growing closer.

 

Louis scrambled under the nearest bed just in time to miss the slice of light that expanded across the room as someone opened the door. Louis could only see the sock-clad feet. The dinosaur pattern reminded him of Niall, which quickly reminded his brain -- wait, now wasn’t the time. He had just accidentally broken into Harry’s flat.

 

The person at the door hummed in confusion after apparently doing a quick sweep of the room. He crossed and shut the window -- locking it this time -- and left, closing the door behind him and leaving Louis in darkness once again.

 

“There’s nobody there,” a muffled voice said behind the door.

 

“That’s weird,” a deeper, sleepier voice said. Clearly this one was Harry. Louis felt a warm smile spread across his face unwillingly. He tilted his head to hear more.

 

“Must’ve been the wind,” the first voice, Harry’s flatmate, responded.

 

“Or we’ve got strays,” Harry said. Louis couldn’t see him, but the picture of Harry’s amused grin and deep dimples filled his mind.

 

The other man laughed. “You’re welcome to check for a cat in there,” he said, “but I doubt you’ll find one. It must’ve been the wind.”

 

Louis climbed up on the bed and sat cross-legged, awaiting Harry’s entrance.

 

Harry cracked the door open and stepped in, face lighting up once he saw Chat Noir.

 

“I think I’m gonna go to sleep, actually, Liam,” he called over his shoulder.

 

“Goodnight,” his flatmate responded, the sound of the TV already turned back on.

 

Harry closed the door behind him as he quietly walked in and moved to stand in front of Louis. The faint light from the window painted him in blue and orange, like a work of art Louis would trade his whole lifestyle for.

 

“Silly kitten,” Harry said, smiling and shaking his head. “It’s rude to break into somebody’s home.”

 

Louis smiled up innocently at him. “How do you know this isn’t mine? Maybe _you’re_ the cat burglar here.”

 

Harry giggled, swooping down to sit close to him. Louis ignored the way his heart skipped a beat.

 

“It’s not burglary unless you steal something,” Harry responded quietly, mouth distractingly close to Louis’ collarbone.

 

Louis looked down at him under his eyelashes. He felt Harry’s curls brush against his shoulder and arm; he shouldn’t have been able to through the suit, but undeniable goosebumps were rising in the spot.

 

“Maybe I’ll just have to find something to steal,” he said, looking away.

 

Underneath him, the mattress dipped and the covers moved as Harry shifted.

 

He gasped dramatically, but still quietly enough as to not arouse Liam’s suspicions.

 

“You wouldn’t,” Harry said, clutching his chest with a fake mortified face.

 

Louis laughed quietly, standing up. He turned to face Harry, looking down at the boy’s open face. He bent over. It was nice being bigger than Harry for once.

 

Louis smirked before twirling around and wandering around the room, leather tail swishing behind him as he searched for something to take.

 

He plucked a little plastic dinosaur from a shelf and turned around to face Harry’s bed -- only, Harry was no longer there. He was now standing close -- _very_ close -- to Louis himself, who was forced to tilt his head up to see his face in full. Harry’s eyes were directed downwards, at the little toy in Louis’ hands.

 

“Good choice,” Harry said casually, as if he wasn’t crowding Louis’ space in the soft moonlight and making his stomach feel all sorts of bouncy. “That’s a sauropod. They were the biggest plant-eating dinosaurs on the planet.”

 

Louis swallowed back the weird feeling. “Why do you even know that,” he asked flatly, slightly wavering at the end when Harry’s eyes latched onto his with a swoop of his eyelashes.

 

Harry shrugged, backing off and looking away. “Why would I buy something without knowing what it was?”

 

Louis was quiet. Harry responded to the silence anyways.

 

“You can have it, if you like.”

 

“Harold!” Louis chastised, making Harry look back into his eyes. “Now I can’t steal this!”

 

Harry laughed into his hand. Louis turned around, placing it perfectly back onto its shelf. He wandered around again before picking up a rose placed delicately on the desk.

 

“What’s this?” he said, voice as prickly as its stem. He didn’t know where the heat was coming from.

 

“A rose,” Harry replied.

 

Louis looked down at it, twisting its stem in his hands. A boy as pretty as Harry probably gave it to him, somebody who loved him and who Harry deserved; Harry’s boyfriend had probably given it to him somewhere super romantic, like on a boat ride at night just before Harry swooped in and kissed him passionately-

 

“Where’d you get it?” he asked.

 

“Picked it in a park the other day,” Harry replied easily.

 

Louis relaxed slightly. It was weird to get jealous over this, wasn’t it? Why did he care so much?

 

“You can have it, I’m never gonna use it,” Harry responded.

 

“ _Harold!_ ” Louis pouted, crossing his arms and stomping his foot. “If you keep offering your things to me, how am I supposed to _steal_ anything?”

 

Harry laughed. “Oops,” he whispered. “Sorry, _Chaton_.”

 

Louis placed it delicately back where it was.

 

“Maybe I’ll actually use it like I’d planned to,” Harry said.

 

Louis looked back at him, heart beating louder than normal.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Harry shrugged, looking down and picking at his pajama pants with his fingers.

 

Louis knew he was blushing despite the faint light.

 

“I was gonna give it to someone,” Harry said. Louis swallowed back a particularly painful bit of air.

 

“Oh, really?” he asked. It sounded much more casual than he felt.

 

Harry shrugged. “It’s nothing, really,” he said shyly. He paused, but Louis waited for him to finish. “There’s a boy,” he said slowly, the way he always talked.

 

Louis felt very rigid all of the sudden.

 

“He’s very cute and very nice and funny and just all-around the most captivating person I’ve seen in my life.” Harry sighed. “Not that he’ll ever know I think that.”

 

Louis turned around fully to face Harry. Clearly, the boy was upset, and Louis would do anything to bring light back to that face. In a friendly way, though. He wasn’t in love with Harry; that was for Ladybug. Right.

 

“Why not?” Louis asked softly.

 

“I can hardly string together a sentence around him,” Harry responded remorsefully. “It’s hard to even control my muscles when I see him.”

 

Louis frowned. “I’m sure you’ll tell him someday,” he said kindly. “And when you do, you _know_ he’s gonna be all over you, like,” Louis swooned dramatically across Harry’s chest, batting his eyelashes and beginning to speak breathlessly, “oh, _Harry_ , you’re so _handsome_ and _strong_ . We should get _married_ and have twelve children!”

 

He ran his finger across Harry’s jawline and tugged lightly on his curls when he reached the end. Harry was laughing, now, but his arms had risen to loosely encircle Louis’ waist.

 

They both laughed until they ran out, and were still standing like that when their breath evened out.

 

Louis stood up and walked to his desk again. “Anyways, I need to steal something.”

 

Harry nodded solemnly.

 

“And you look like you need some sleep,” Louis added.

 

Harry pouted.

 

“Not that you don’t look beautiful, as always,” Louis quickly added without a hint of irony.

 

Harry smiled angelically.

 

“But I really must be off,” Louis said. “You know, things to do, supervillains to watch out for.” He swiped a strawberry chapstick off the desk. “But I’m taking this with me.”

 

He laughed as he ran for the window. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop me!” He called as he swung open the window and jumped up nimbly onto the ledge.

 

Harry laughed. “Good-bye, you cat burglar.”

 

Louis giggled, getting one last look before he leapt out into the night. “You’ll never _cat_ ch me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun right
> 
> [here](http://vibrantlarries.tumblr.com/post/158518372387/trying-out-a-new-style-and-what-better-way-to) is some art for chapter 1


	2. A Middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a shift occurs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The dramatic irony of your life is overwhelming." -Chat Noir in Chapter 2

Harry had finally gotten a decent amount of sleep, and he was reaping the benefits. Sure, it had meant he’d slept through his lunch plans with Liam, but they lived together, okay, they could have lunch whenever they wanted to. Liam understood. He knew how tired his best friend always was.

 

But now, Harry’s newfound vitality showed more than ever, as he swung through the streets as Ladybug. He was early for patrol tonight; the sun hadn’t even set yet, but what was wrong with giving the people a nice little glimpse of their friendly neighborhood superhero?

 

And, of course, it meant he could check up on Louis.

 

It was admittedly creepy, he knew, to go uptown and watch through the large windows of Louis’ flat from the behind the nearest gargoyle or window outcropping, but Harry loved to see Louis when he was free of pressure and the eyes of the society that recognized his face (or at least, as far as he knew), and he felt it was only his duty as the protector of this city and its citizens to make sure the most important ones were safe. Not that some groups were better than others. It was just Louis. Louis Tomlinson was always the most important.

 

Harry might be a little biased.

 

His musings were interrupted by his own arrival, however, and he squatted down on a roof across the street to look for the boy that he secretly loved.

 

Louis was standing in front of his own windows, too far away to tell exactly what he was doing, but Harry was assured that he was absolutely, flooringly stunning as he did it. Harry sighed, wishing he was inside that apartment and doing everything he could to make the boy happy.

 

His weapon began to beep insistently, and Harry glanced down at it. When he looked back up, Louis was gone. Harry groaned, before realizing how dark it had become. Surely it was time to go meet up with Chat Noir.

 

With one last look at the empty windows, Harry leaped off the roof and swung through the streets towards the square he and his partner always met at.

 

It was fully dark when he got there, only illuminated by the streetlamps.

 

“Bug,” came a dramatic voice from behind him. Harry turned around, tamping down his smile. “Do mine eyes deceive me? Did we not come from the same direction?” Chat Noir took a step towards him, smirking, blue eyes glinting. “Do we live near each other?” He sounded positively delighted.

 

Harry laughed. “If you live where I just came from, I’m afraid not.”

 

Chat pouted. “It’s a shame.” He leaned closer, raising his eyebrows as he did so. “You know, we could know each other in real life and not even know it.”

 

Harry laughed, sticking one arm out to hold his partner back. “There’s no way.”

 

Chat smirked. “Oh, but we could! If only you’d stop it with your silly rule and let us tell each other our identities!”

 

Harry laughed at that. “But I can hardly handle you in the time we have, _Chaton_ ,” he said. “I could never make it if that was coming at me all of the time.”

 

Chat Noir smirked, leaning in close with his weight on his staff. “You’re right,” he lamented dramatically. “I’m a ride you wouldn’t survive.”

 

Harry couldn’t hold back his laughter. He guffawed loudly before slapping a hand over his mouth. His eyes squeezed shut until tears formed, and Harry bent over with the force of his laughter. Being awake really amplified his emotions.

 

A glance at Chat Noir showed a puzzled but pleased little blush. He seemed almost shy, a huge departure from his normally flamboyant and flirty nature.

 

Harry grinned at him, wiping his eyes. “We should probably go, like, patrol,” he said happily.

 

Chat Noir nodded silently.

 

“What’s got you _feline_ so quiet all of the sudden?” Harry asked over his shoulder as he began to walk away.

 

A glance behind him showed a stunned and unmoving Chat Noir.

 

Harry turned around and put his hands on his hips. “What’s wrong? Have I thrown you off your game?”

 

Chat Noir blinked and hurried to catch up.

 

“I’m just surprised by your exuberance tonight, is all,” he replied.

 

Harry laughed.

 

“What happened in your civilian life?” Chat asked. “And how can I make it happen more often?”

 

Harry laughed again. “Just in a good mood, I guess.”

 

Chat smiled at him. “Alright.”

 

Harry sprinted off towards the buildings, exhilarated and energized. He suddenly had the urge to feel the wind through his hair and lifted his arms to pull his bun down.

 

“What are you doing?” Chat Noir asked.

 

Harry turned as his hair fell, looking brightly at his partner as the wind pulled and twirled his curls around his face.

 

“Are you high?” Chat Noir asked in awe.

 

“No!” Harry responded. “I’m a responsible hero! I wouldn’t show up to work high!”

 

Chat laughed. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

 

“Come on,” Harry said, brushing off the response, “let’s go explore.”

 

Chat Noir grinned. “I think I like high Ladybug.”

 

Harry laughed. “I’m not high!”

 

The strength of his protests, however, were belied by his grin, and all over the city, the night was soon filled with their laughs and shouts, carried feather-light on the wind.

 

“What the fuck, no, I _hate_ her,” Chat Noir was laughing, sat on some chimney a while later, Harry leaning on the bricks by his side.

 

“You don’t even know her!” Harry laughed.

 

“Anyone who insults my Bug offends my very soul,” Chat Noir said with an exaggerated glare and a flex of his biceps.

 

Harry’s laughter grew. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said happily. “It’s just some mean girl in my history class.”

 

“ _Just some mean girl?_ ” Chat said incredulously. “You said that she ripped up your journal! She said your tattoo was ugly! I’ll fight her!” he declared.

 

Harry rolled his eyes, but his smile stayed firmly in place. “She also said that I’m the best superhero in the world,” he giggled.

 

“Okay, well, first of all, that’s me,” Chat said. “But oh my _god_ . The dramatic irony of your life is _overwhelming_.”

 

Harry laughed. “There are some silver linings.”

 

It was Chat’s turn to roll his eyes. “Yeah, like _saving Paris_.”

 

Harry shoved him. “You know what I mean.”

 

Chat nodded. “Yeah…” he paused. “I can think of one of mine, actually.”

 

“Hm?” Harry responded, raising his eyebrows in interest.

 

Chat nodded. “I’ve made a friend, actually. As Chat Noir. I have friends as myself, too, obviously.”

 

Harry held down his grin as much as he could. “Oh, have you?”

 

“Yep,” Chat said, popping the ‘p.’ “His name’s Harry Styles. Works for that bakery - _Stop and Smell the Flours_? Do you know him?”

 

Harry nodded. “I’ve heard of him.” He grinned. “Heard he’s real good-looking.”

 

Chat laughed, but nodded. “He is, yeah.”

 

Harry raised his eyebrows. “And I’ve heard he’s really funny.”

 

“Funnier than me?”

 

“Funniest in the world.”

 

“Well, that’s overselling it. He makes nearly as many puns as I do.”

 

“And what’s wrong with puns?”

 

“Are you kidding? You _hate_ my puns!”

 

Harry shrugged. “Just ‘cause mine are _better_.”

 

Chat Noir pointed dramatically. “Brutus!” he exclaimed.

 

Harry laughed. “They are!”

 

Chat Noir shook his head and looked into the distance. He looked nice like this actually; his skin seemed to glow gold even in the weak light; his eyes shone with joy and his lips parted, giving Harry a sudden desire to taste them; the wind ruffled his hair and if it weren’t for the black mask, Harry could swear this boy had a modelling contract. He blinked when Chat responded to Harry’s previous statement, having forgotten what they’d been talking about in the first place.

 

“You’re dead to me,” he said dramatically.

 

Harry laughed. “You love me too much to cut me off like this.”

 

“Watch me.”

 

Harry’s eyes shone brighter than all the stars in the night sky above put together. This was only partially due to the light pollution of the city.

 

“Please, we can get past this.” His joke was interrupted by his own laughter, but the pure joy of the moment was clear as the bell around Chat Noir's neck.

 

“I’m afraid you’ve gone too far this time, Bugaboo,” Chat responded, looking the opposite direction, but Harry could tell he was grinning with all his might from the round apples of his cheeks.

 

It had been, altogether, one of Harry’s better nights.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis had had about enough of Hawkmoth and his stupid fucking akumas. Like, what kind of psycho had the superpower of giving other people superpowers and used it to create bad guys for the sole purpose of fucking with Chat Noir and Ladybug? Technically, they were after their miraculous, he knew, but that fell under the umbrella of fucking with them.

 

Trying to steal a pair of earrings off a boy? That was just dumb! The ring, sure, it was easy enough. But what was the akumatized person gonna do to get Ladybug’s earrings?

 

_“Hey, Ladybug, just hold still for a minute, I’m just gonna go ahead and pull these on out, alright?”_

 

It was fucking stupid! And annoying! And did he mention fucking _stupid?_ How many times was the guy gonna try the same fucking plan before he realized that it doesn’t work?

 

In short, Louis hated Hawkmoth, whoever the bastard was.

 

But, unfortunately for Louis, that didn’t make Hawkmoth want to stop akumatizing people any less, so here he was once more, fighting another classmate.

 

(2 million people in the city and yet it seemed like he knew the victim every other week.)

 

The lucky target this week was Louis’ friend Liam, who was hardcore going after Chloe at the moment. Louis almost had to drag his partner to her aid. Ladybug’s pettiness was one of his many favorite things about him.

 

Right now, for example, Ladybug was standing uncooperatively in the corner, arms crossed, as Louis questioned Chloe about the source of Liam’s new dog-themed super powers.

 

“I didn’t even do anything,” she said, cocking a hip out at him. “We were just having a friendly conversation and then he stormed off! It’s not _my_ fault that _he_ couldn’t handle a little criticism!”

 

Louis raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her. “What did you say?”

 

Chloe leveled him with a look.

 

Louis had to suppress a smile at Ladybug’s long-suffering sigh behind him as he walked up. Louis stepped aside to make room. A plastic grin planted immediately on Chloe’s face.

 

“OMG, Ladybug!” she shouted. (Louis was her childhood friend and all, but even he couldn’t support the verbal use of slang abbreviations like this. Ugh.)

 

“What did you say to Liam,” Ladybug more ordered than asked.

 

Chloe pouted. “All I did was imply that he followed his big stupid friend around like a little stupid puppy! It’s not my fault the brainless twit couldn’t handle it!”

 

Ladybug’s unimpressed disposition became downright enraged. “You-”

 

Louis put a calming hand on his hip and stepped smoothly in front of him before the livid superhero could say anything else.

 

“Thank you for your information,” he said, already beginning to guide Ladybug out of the building. “Make sure to stay inside and safe!” he called over his shoulder as the door swung shut behind him. He turned back around to a white-lit stairwell.

 

“She can’t just do that,” Ladybug said angrily, spinning to face Louis. “That girl in there has caused half the akumas this year! We can’t just keep letting her get away with hurting people like that!”

 

Louis frowned sympathetically up at his partner. “I know, She can be awful, yeah, but we have a job to do, and that job isn’t to beat the shit out of random citizens. Only specific ones. Specific ones with evil powers.”

 

Ladybug sighed. “It’s just- it isn’t fair of her to say that to Liam. He’s already insecure about his intelligence, he gets enough shit about it because of his spelling, and he’s such a good person! He stands up for people and he’s selfless and kind-” Ladybug cut himself off with a growl of frustration. “And I don’t want to fight him!”

 

Louis bit his lip. Ladybug was really passionate about Liam. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that his partner may be closer to Liam than he thought. Close in a romantic way, possibly. Louis didn’t want to think about that. He suddenly felt ready to fight the dude.

 

“Let’s just go get this over with, yeah?” he said gently.

 

Ladybug nodded, looking conflicted.

 

The two leaped up the stairwell and emerged through the roof access door into the bright sunlight. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping; the only indicator that something was wrong was the desertedness of the street.

 

Louis looked down the nearby streets for direction. He turned back to his partner. “Any ideas on where to start?”

 

“Isn’t it normally dogs who chase cats?” his partner returned smoothly, having recovered from his momentary crisis.

 

“I thought I was supposed to be the funny one in this relationship,” Louis replied, still looking around for signs of trouble that may alert them of the villain’s whereabouts.

 

“You shouldn’t lump relationships into binaries like that,” Ladybug replied, looking around as well. “One’s this, so the other can’t be: it’s toxic. People are people and people are lots of things. Saying one has to be and the other can’t isn’t healthy at all.”

 

Louis smiled fondly where Ladybug couldn’t see it, though he doubted the happy curve of his cheeks escaped that detail-oriented gaze. Ladybug tended to ramble if he found the space for it, and Louis was always happy to listen. His casual passion was adorable; there was no other word for it.

 

“And it just feeds into the idea that- there he is,” Ladybug interrupted himself, pointing a few blocks down at a space where Louis knew a park was. Before he could ask how he knew, a car flew above the levels of the nearest roofs and slammed back down to the ground.

 

“How many dogs does it take to throw a car in the air?” Louis asked.

 

“Now’s not the time for your bad jokes,” Ladybug said, already beginning to swing off in the direction of the clamor.

 

Louis followed quickly, running on the sides of rooftops just a few steps behind Ladybug. “That was harsh,” he said. “There’s no need to be so _ruff_ about these things.”

 

Ladybug groaned, but they were at the scene of the crime before anything else could be said.

 

The duo landed in the middle of the road at the same time and straightened up in synchronization. Their mirroring could be accredited to nothing but practice.

 

“Well, well, well,” Louis said, hand on his hips and tail swishing behind him.

 

The villain turned around at the sound of his voice. A mask covered the bottom half of his face like a muzzle of sorts and his eyes were darkened by the influence of the akuma, but it was unmistakably Liam. Because a tiny mask isn’t enough to stop you from recognizing your classmate whom you see every week.

 

Liam’s eyes narrowed at him and Ladybug. Louis’ fists rose, ready to take on whatever the villain was about to send his way.

 

But nothing happened. The three of them stood still and silent in the street in a silent standoff.

 

“So?” Louis broke the silence, stepping forward. “Are you gonna, like, deliver some evil catchphrase? Demand that we give up our miraculous? Tell us what your villain name is, at the very least?”

 

A beat of silence followed his statement. Liam continued to glare.

 

“Oh,” Louis said, lowering his fists thoughtfully. “Is it ‘cause of the muzzle? Can you not talk?”

 

Ladybug smacked Louis’ arm. When he glanced back at his partner, Louis saw those striking green eyes glaring at him.

 

“Shut up,” he said simply.

 

“Well _someone’s_ feeling professional today,” Louis said, crossing his arms and facing his partner. “What, not gonna spare any _puppy love_ for me, Bug?”

 

“Look out!” Ladybug shouted at him, pointing towards Liam.

 

Louis turned around just in time to see hundreds of dogs rushing down the street at them, knocking big things like cars and mailboxes out of the way in their haste to reach and, presumably, destroy the superheroes. Suddenly, Louis’ vision tilted and yanked up high.

 

“Whoa!” he yelped, grabbing onto whatever had just grabbed him -- which, conveniently, was Ladybug, whisking them both away to the relative safety of the rooftops.

 

“Shit,” he whispered once they’d landed, still holding onto Ladybug’s shoulders.

 

“Let’s go,” Ladybug said quickly, stepping back and looking far more tired than he usually did.

 

“Hey,” Louis said, reaching for his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

 

Ladybug made brief eye contact before looking back down at the street, overrun by hypnotized dogs. “Fine,” he said shortly. “Let’s just go fight this guy.”

 

Louis nodded, even though Ladybug couldn’t see him.

 

“Any ideas how?”

 

Ladybug bit his lip. “The akuma’s in his bracelet, I think.”

 

Louis stepped forward, looking down at Liam amidst the dogs, now running with them towards the doors directly below the superheroes.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“No time,” Ladybug said. “I think they’re coming up here, and I’d rather it didn’t rain cats and dogs today.”

 

Louis shrugged. “Well, maybe just cats, then.”

 

And he leaped off the edge of the roof.

 

His pole shot out from under him, expanding until it hit the concrete below and shooting him up to safely land on the roof across the street.

 

Ladybug was already by his side.

 

“We have to find somewhere open to do this,” he said.

 

Louis nodded, a grin spreading across his face, showcasing his sharp canines. “There’s a dog park near here.”

 

Ladybug nodded, all business today. Louis’ smile faded a touch. His partner usually appreciated his puns, even if not out loud.

 

They began to run for the park, stopping periodically to allow the swarm of dogs and Liam to follow them.

 

Ladybug and Chat Noir finally stood back-to-back in the center of the small park, waiting for the swarm to flood the gates.

 

It was eerily still; the only sounds were the distant-seeming rumble of the dogs on their way.

 

“Got a plan?” Louis asked over his shoulder.

 

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out,” his partner said. “We always do.”

 

Louis turned to face the front gate. He could see the dogs on their way through the fence. “I might have an idea,” he replied.

 

The dogs crashed through the small opening of the gate like a wave; they could only fit a few at a time, which left half of them tripping over each other in their haste.

 

Just before the dogs reached Louis and Ladybug, he grabbed onto Ladybug’s waist and rocketed them up on his staff, allowing them to fall backward into a tree.

 

“This is your plan?” Ladybug said once they hit the top. “Maybe you’re more cat-like than I previously thought.”

 

“We have to be able to see him somehow, don’t we?”

 

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. “As long as you can actually get down when we’re done.”

 

“Ha, ha,” Louis deadpanned back. “But, anyways, it worked.” He pointed up at the roof of a building right next to the park, which was now completely coated in dogs. One could hardly see the grass. “There’s our guy.”

 

Ladybug nodded grimly. “Alright. Let’s go.” He grappled his yo-yo onto a chimney opposite the villain and swung onto the adjacent roof.

 

Louis groaned. “Easy for _you_ ,” he muttered as he attempted to vault to the same roof.

 

He landed lightly next to Ladybug, staff already shrinking in his grasp.

 

Louis stepped forward and placed it down, holding it as it stretched across the street, ten meters up.

 

“You up for some acrobatics?” he asked as he stepped forward onto it.

 

To his surprise, Liam did the same from across the chasm.

 

Louis walked smoothly forward until he and Liam were each a meter from the center.

 

“Fancy seeing you here,” Louis said casually.

 

Liam raised an eyebrow at him. Even with the muzzle, Louis could tell from his face that Liam was unimpressed with his jokes.

 

“Hey, if you don’t like my sense of humor,” Louis said, “you’re welcome to use your own.” He crossed his arms in defiance.

 

Furious barks echoed from below him. Louis resisted the temptations to look down at the mass of dogs gathered below.

 

“How do you feel about taking this fight to a nice, solid rooftop?” Louis asked. Liam took a step towards him, threateningly wielding an actual _sword_.

 

“Oh my god, is this for real,” Louis said. “That doesn’t even go with your whole theme! That’s really no fair!”

 

“Oh, it’s _fur_ real,” Liam replied.

 

“What the shit, you talk?” Louis said. “You let me make a fool of myself earlier! What a betrayal! That pun wasn’t even very good!”

 

Liam took another step closer.

 

“Fine,” Louis said. “You want a cat fight? Guess it’s my claws against your sword.”

 

He leaped forward on the metal beam, slashing at Liam’s weapon. He scraped his way down and grasped the hilt above Liam’s own hands, pulling on it. Liam pulled back, but with a great wrench, Louis yanked it out of his arms, causing Liam to stumble back and topple off the pole.

 

“Shit!” Louis exclaimed, lunging forward and dropping the sword to grab at Liam, but missing his arm.

 

A wire flew out from above him, however, wrapping Liam up and dangling him from the other end in Ladybug’s hand, where he was now standing in the middle of the beam.

 

“Nice,” Louis said. “But how are we gonna get his bracelet from here?”

 

Before Ladybug could answer, Liam had wriggled out of the wire and fallen the short distance into the swarm of dogs. He landed on a huge one and sat on it like a horse, which was honestly just unfair and _so_ extra.

 

He took off through the park, but Ladybug was standing in the far gate before he reached it. He turned around to run for the other gate, but Chat Noir beat him to it.

 

Louis was leaning on the metal fence, but stood up to deliver his line. “But when you lie with the dogs, you get fleas.”

 

And he ran for the villain, pole raised to fight.

 

Liam leaped at him as well, brandishing a sword -- possibly the same one, but it could be new. Louis didn’t know. Nor did he care, as he swung his staff at it.

 

Fortunately for Louis, he was a trained fencer. Unfortunately for Louis, Liam also seemed to be. He met Chat Noir swing for swing, blocked each thrust, and Louis could hardly find any opportunity to hit him. The clangs of metal rang out even over the sounds of the ever-shifting dogs. To make matters worse, the dogs were still gathered round and making runs at Louis, trying to trip him up. It took most of his concentration to even stay on his feet.

 

As they fought, Louis yelled for his partner.

 

“Bug! Got any big plans to put in motion, maybe?”

 

He heard Ladybug’s yelling for the Lucky Charm, and saw the flash of light at its arrival, but Louis was too focused on his own fight to see what it was.

 

Suddenly, though, a whistle rang out, and all the dogs streaked away from Louis.

 

He grinned triumphantly and pushed forward against Liam, who quickly crumpled under Louis’ skill.

 

Louis forced him to the ground, pushing down on his sword with the staff until Liam was flat on his back, barely keeping his torso up with the two arms of force. His muscles bulged with the strain. Louis knew his (notably smaller) muscles were as well, and quietly hoped Ladybug noticed how handsome and heroic he looked. He had the benefit of super-strength, though, so it wasn’t all that surprising that he was doing so well against this huge muscled dude. (His gay self took note of those muscles.)

 

Ladybug walked right up to them and snatched the bracelet off of Liam’s wrist.

 

Liam shouted, eyes wide and panicked, but it was too late.

 

Ladybug wasn’t breaking the akumatized object, though, just staring at it. Louis activated his cataclysm power and tapped it for his partner, looking worriedly at his friend’s face. It was inexplicably sad, and Ladybug performed the usual purifying of the akuma, putting things back in their place, and traditional fist bump with notably less energy than usual.

 

“Are you alright-” Louis could hardly get out before Ladybug was off. He froze with his arm still reaching for Ladybug, expression troubled.

 

After a moment, he turned back to Liam, who was sitting up confusedly.

 

“Shit,” he said. “What happened? My heart hurts like hell.”

 

“I don’t know,” Louis said truthfully, looking back at where Ladybug had sped off.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

That night, Harry sat on the roof outside his window again, working through his guilt and trying to steady the foundations of his emotions.

 

It was his fault that Liam had gotten akumatized; Chloe had used _him_ to hurt Liam so much that Hawkmoth was able to turn him _evil_. It was undoubtedly tied to Harry, even if no one else knew -- the bracelet had been a gift to Liam from him, a prize from a carnival game.

 

It was tied with one of their best memories: the two of them had driven out to the beach to visit some carnival going on there, a boardwalk-type event with a ferris wheel and more junk food than they usually ate but nonetheless happily lapped up all day alongside each other. Harry had won the bracelet for him, and just barely, as he was absolutely terrible at the ring toss game (he didn’t technically _win_ it, actually; the guy running the booth had felt both bad for him losing his sixteenth turn in a row and endeared by Harry’s charm and so he just handed it over it to him), but it represented much more than the little leather thing it was. It was a symbol of their friendship, and it was the object meaningful enough to the transformation that the akuma had chosen it. Harry felt terrible.

 

He’d been off throughout the whole fight, he knew, from his guilt and internal mess of emotions. It could’ve been a quicker fight than most of them were if it weren’t for him. Thank god Chat Noir had stepped up and supported the team.

 

Harry bit his lip and curled his head into his knees. He felt so terrible, and Liam couldn’t even know that Harry knew, which left him with no one to talk to.

 

He heard the little bell of the door under him ring as it opened, and Harry looked over his curled knees to see Chat Noir on the sidewalk below.

 

Chat Noir, looking up, saw him, too, and jumped up to sit by him.

 

“Harry? You alright?” he asked softly.

 

Harry answered him with a question of his own, looking up into the familiar blue eyes. “What were you doing in there?”

 

“I was just talking to Liam. I always check up on the akumatized victims after the battles. It can be hard for them. Liam’s strong. He’ll be fine. How’re you, though?”

 

Harry looked up. He had no idea Chat did that. It was so… sweet.

  
“How long have you done this?” he asked, ignoring the question.

 

Chat shrugged. “I always have. It’s probably hard, giving in to evil like that. Hard to deal with knowing that you did. It’s a blessing, honestly, that none of them remember it. If I knew that I’d held the city hostage and hurt people, I’d be driven mad.”

 

Harry looked at him, floored by his honesty and kindness.

 

“I had no idea,” he said softly, delicately.

 

Chat shrugged. “Why would you? You’ve never been akumatized.”

 

Harry was quiet.

 

“You haven’t, right? I feel like I’d remember that.”

 

Harry cracked a small smile. “No. No, I haven’t.”

 

“Probably be pastry-themed,” Chat joked. “You’d be _The Baker_ , hitting us with a giant rolling pin.” He put on a deep voice in an imitation of Harry. “ _I’ll be_ kneading _those miraculous._ ”

 

Harry giggled. They were quiet for a moment, a peaceful complement to the still air.

 

“It’s so sweet of you, though,” Harry said.

 

Chat shrugged again, shifting a little in his modesty. “It’s not a big deal,” he said.

 

Harry looked at him earnestly. “Of course it is! Comforting people after going through that, it’s so thoughtful! I had no idea you did this,” he finished quietly.

 

Chat blushed, looking down at his fidgeting hands. “I just want to help however I can.”

 

Harry stared at him in quiet awe. A slight wind brushed his fringe gently off his forehead and a streetlamp set a glow in his downcast eyes below his long eyelashes. Harry kept watching him, sitting quietly and shifting in miniscule movements. The rhythm of his breath was comforting to Harry.

 

It wasn’t quiet, of course; they lived in Paris, it never was. But the moment felt it.

 

Chat looked up, suddenly, blinking at Harry with his silvery blue eyes. “You never answered my question,” he pointed out.

 

Harry was captivated to watch him, for some reason. This sweet creature was so interesting. He was a great person to just, like, sit and kind of admire what he’s like. It reminded him of Louis.

 

Harry realized that some time had passed after the question without an answer. Chat sat patiently, however, waiting.

 

Harry shrugged this time, looking down at his own knees, pulled up against his chest.

 

“Honestly?” he said, laughing hollowly. “I feel terrible. It was my fault.”

 

Chat leaned towards him, reaching a gloved hand to Harry’s.

 

“No,” he said genuinely, sounding warm and shocked at the concept that Harry could have any blame whatsoever.

 

Harry nodded, though. “It was. He was akumatized because of me; I heard what Chloe told him.”

 

Chat was shaking his head as he scooted closer, now with Harry’s hands in both of his. The attached claws scratched a bit on Harry’s anchor tattoo on his wrist, like an actual cat’s. Harry didn’t mind at all, though. The warmth of his hands was grounding. It was a good metaphor atop the inked anchor.

 

“It’s not your fault,” he said firmly. “It isn’t. You didn’t say those things. He doesn’t resent you. Liam loves you, H.”

 

It was as if the other boy could see right into Harry’s head and into his exact fears and insecurities. Harry breathed in shakily. “I gave him that bracelet,” he said weakly, knowing that Chat Noir would understand his meaning.

 

Chat was leaning in closer, though, pushing his face towards Harry’s.

 

“It’s not your fault,” he whispered. “You don’t need to feel guilty.”

 

Harry felt something tight in his chest break, and warmth spilled through the crack. He bit his lip and his eyes filled with unshed tears.

 

“I can’t help but feel guilty anyways,” he whispered.

 

Chat leaned in farther. “I understand,” he whispered back. Harry felt the breath on his own lips. “But it really wasn’t your fault at all.”

 

A tear slipped down Harry’s cheek. Chat caught it with a finger, and wiped under his eye as others followed suit.

 

“Thank you,” Harry whispered, cheeks heating up.

 

Chat nodded. His earnest face, still very close, was outlined in ebbing golden light. A wind across the roof made Harry shiver and he nodded, breathing in shakily once more.

 

“Thanks,” he said again, pressing his forehead to Chat’s. He let out a watery chuckle. “I almost feel like I’m the victim, being comforted by the Hero of Paris himself over here.”

 

Chat smiled. Harry’s eyes were closed, but he felt the muscles move in Chat’s face. It was a familiarity he’d never known he’d have, but could now never imagine losing.

 

“It’s just what I do,” Chat said with a quiet sort of warmth.

 

Harry felt like the glow of the streetlamps might as well have been emanating from his own chest.

 

Chat leaned back. The suddenly freezing air was unwelcome on Harry’s face.

 

“Besides,” he said self-deprecatingly, “I’m not the Hero of Paris. That would be Ladybug.”

 

Harry’s eyebrows drew in. “No, it wouldn’t be.”

 

Chat Noir opened his mouth to refute this.

 

“No, wait,” Harry cut him off before he could start. “Like, sure, Ladybug does all the purifying, glowy, eye-catching stuff, but you ultimately have the harder job, you know? We need him for all that, but, like, somebody’s gotta be between the bad guys and Ladybug. You’ve taken more hits for him than most people could even imagine to endure, you know? Maybe Ladybug is the finisher, but where would we be without you?”  
  
Chat looked thoughtful.

 

Harry wrapped up his thought. “And if Ladybug’s the ‘Hero of Paris’ and you’re his personal hero, what does that mean about you?”

 

The blue eyes in front of him sparkled. “I thought I was here to make _you_ feel better,” Chat said weakly.

 

Harry blushed. “I’m just saying what I think.”

 

Chat nodded. “It’s nice to hear.” He looked off into the distance, at all the buildings and parked cars lined up on the side of still-full roads, even in the electric lighting. “I sometimes feel like he doesn’t need me,” he admitted quietly. “He’s just so amazing, you know?”

 

Harry pushed up onto his knees and moved right in front of Chat Noir.

 

“Don’t be dumb,” he said.

 

Looking down into Chat’s wide blue eyes, curls blowing around them like a privacy curtain in the tangible darkness, Harry felt a jolt of buzzing electricity he hadn’t felt since -- well, since Louis Tomlinson.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis was fucking late to class again. God-fucking-damn it. He had even gone to bed at a reasonable (well, reasonable enough) time the night before! What had he done to deserve this? Was it not enough to fight the forces of evil each and every week? Must he suffer like this??

 

“You forgot something,” Plagg called as Louis sprinted for the door, shoes barely on and bag smacking against his back from its haphazard position on his shoulder.

 

“Right!” Louis said, screeching to a stop and doubling back to grab his keys off the counter. “Thanks, Plagg!” he called as he dashed for the door again.

 

“Really?” the little black cat kwami asked incredulously, floating himself up to follow Louis. “You’re a terrible master,” Plagg criticised as he dove through Louis’ backpack.

 

“I brought cheese,” Louis replied.

 

“Nevermind!” Plagg yelled through the coarse fabric, mouth already full. “You’re absolutely _godly_!”

 

Louis stopped responding after that because, of course, he was darting through crowds of people and didn’t want to seem crazy. Just because he’d probably never see the strangers again didn’t mean he didn’t have his dignity, you know.

 

Louis burst through a set of glass doors into the hallway where his classroom was.

 

He spun around a classroom, calling out a “sorry!” as he went.

 

A clamor from the other end of the hallway caught his attention and slowed his pace; it seemed his classmate Harry hadn’t been so fortunate in his avoidance.

 

He could see Harry’s wide eyes and apologetic wince from down the hall and slowed to watch as Harry offered a hand to help the person he’d just slammed into. Louis cocked his head at the scene in interest, not even noticing just how much he’d slowed until somebody bumped into him.

 

Louis turned in surprise at the person and apologized, but by the time he turned around to observe Harry some more, all that was left of him was the classroom door swinging shut.

 

Louis suddenly remembered his haste and hustled forward to the door.

 

He popped into the classroom less than a minute after Harry had, but they were both half an hour late, so the few extra seconds hardly made a difference.

 

Louis apologized to the professor and made a beeline to his seat next to Niall. It was directly in front of Harry: he’d always known this, but today the presence behind him set his spine abuzz for no discernible reason.

 

“Why were you so late today?” Niall muttered to him, leaning close to his friend. It was not subtle. Louis doubted Niall cared. Come to think of it, he didn’t really, either.

 

“Slept in,” he replied.

 

Niall shook his head. “You always do. Is it all that late-night _activity_ you’re up to?” Niall said, with a ridiculous wiggle of his eyebrows to really set in the implication.

 

“Fuck off,” Louis whispered back.

 

Niall laughed. “Alright, alright, Lou.”

 

He trailed off, but remained in his solid lean towards his friend. Louis spared a thought for how codependent they probably looked to the people behind them, forming this triangle of comfortable friendship.

 

“You know,” Niall muttered after a moment, “Harry was pretty late in here, too.”

 

Louis didn’t need to look back at Niall to know he was doing the eyebrow thing again.

 

“Fuck _off_ , for real,” he whispered back, wishing his cheeks hadn’t gotten pink at the suggestion.

 

Niall put his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

 

“Okay, alright,” he said. Niall paused for a moment. “But I will say that the two of you are both _always_ late to _everything_.” He snickered under his breath. “The two of you were practically made for each other.”

 

“Hey, Niall?” Louis responded quietly.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“ _V_ _a te faire foutre_.”

 

Niall’s cackles were harder to cover this time, and the professor shot them a dirty look.

 

After class, Louis and Niall were walking down the hallway, much more calmly than Louis had the last time he was there.

 

“Hey, you wanna go to that bakery you love?” Niall was asking. “I’m _feline_ a little hungry, if you know what I mean.”

 

Niall’s wide grin was a little unsettling to Louis, as he had forgotten about Niall’s new thing for cat puns.

 

“Sure,” he responded, a beat too late.

 

“I knew I could _purr_ -suade you!” Niall chirped happily.

 

Louis blinked, and not because of the bright sunshine that greeted them as they walked out the doors.

 

“Jesus,” Niall groaned. “If I don’t eat soon, I’m _litter_ -ally going to _die_.”

 

“Alright,” Louis said, turning to his friend. “What’s up? What is this? Is this some sort of weird cry for help? Are you coming out to me as a furry? Why are you making so many irrelevant puns?”

 

Niall cackled.

 

Louis waited patiently for his friend to calm down.

 

“I think you know,” Niall replied sagely after his giggles had died down and the only reminder was his happy, red face.

 

“What?” Louis groaned. “I don’t!” But the hard feeling in his stomach said otherwise.

 

“Louis,” Niall said with an open trusting look. “I know your secret.”

 

Louis shot him a worried look.

 

They were quiet for a few steps.

 

“Really?” Louis’ voice was small.

 

Niall nodded. “And I get why you didn’t tell me. Don’t get me wrong -- I was shocked, and at first kinda pissed, but I get it. It’s called a _secret_ identity for a reason. If it was me, I wouldn’t want to burden you with it, either. And I get it, now. All the lateness and the randomly ditching me.”

 

Louis winced. “Yeah, I’m _so_ sorry about that, by the way. It’s just- it’s kind of hard to explain off, right? I couldn’t just say, like, ‘hey, mate, I gotta go put on my leather catsuit and fight crime, catch you after?’”

 

Niall laughed.

 

The two walked in comfortable silence for a block or two. Louis felt lighter, all of the sudden. There was a new spring in his step that he was unfamiliar with, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

 

“It’s so cool,” Niall said as they stepped into the bakery to the sound of a merry little bell in the door. “Like, I’m best friends with Chat Noir! How sick is that?”

 

Louis laughed. “It _is_.”

 

They stepped up to the bakery counter, and Louis’ heart stuttered when he saw the pair of green eyes behind it -- they were close, Harry was much closer than Louis had expected.

 

“Chat Noir?” Harry asked, eyes darting away from Louis and cheeks pink.

 

Niall nodded. “Yeah. What about him?”

 

Harry shrugged. “Just caught the name.”

 

Niall nodded. “We were just talking about him.”

 

Harry raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I’d gathered,” he said flatly (but not his usual monotone; a more sarcastic one. Louis could differentiate between the subtle nuances of his voice all day. Not that he was thinking about that, or, actually, nevermind).

 

Niall laughed. “Yeah,” he replied. “Hey,” he said, perking up, “who would win in a fight: Chat Noir or six monkeys?”

 

Harry grinned. Louis selfishly wanted that grin fixed on him.

 

“What kind of monkeys?”

 

“Chimpanzees.”

 

Harry hummed. Louis watched him, subconsciously leaning farther over the counter. Harry smelled nice, or maybe it was just the bakery. No, no, it was Harry. He always smelled nice.

 

Not that Louis had smelled him or anything creepy like that. It was just -- cold nights, you know? He sat close to Harry as Chat Noir! They shared a blanket, obviously he knew what the boy smelled like!

 

“Probably Chat,” Harry’s slow, deep voice pulled Louis back to the present. “He’s got the staff, you know?” he explained. “He can just, like, hit them out of the way.”

 

“Like bowling pins?” Louis asked, eyes sparkling.

 

Harry looked over at him and immediately began to trip over his words.

 

“Yeah- erm, like, those, yeah.” His face grew redder with each word. It was endearing.

 

“Um- uh, what was it that you guys wanted? To eat?” Harry said, turning his face down towards the register.

 

Louis was oddly disappointed, even though he was finally getting the pastry he wanted.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry hated to disappoint.

 

“I just wish it was reasonable,” Liam was saying, not seeing Harry past the stars in his eyes.

 

Harry nudged his foot with his own socked one. “Do you think I can help?” he asked, tamping down his instinct to avoid.

 

“You do have the _connections_ ,” Liam said, perking up excitedly.

 

“Oh, stop,” Harry said, throwing his head back over the arm of their couch. “You act like Chat Noir’s my _fuckbuddy_ or something.”

“What, are you gonna tell me you _aren’t_ star-crossed lovers?” Liam teased.

 

Harry groaned loudly and dramatically.

 

“Main squeeze?” Liam offered. “His number one booty call?”

 

Harry groaned again. “It’s like you _don’t_ want my help getting this interview with Ladybug.”

 

He peeked an eye open to see Liam’s shit-eating grin.

 

“No,” he warned, pointing at him.

 

“Harry,” Liam said seriously, “do you have _felines_ for him?”

 

Harry kicked him.

 

“I hate you,” he muttered.

 

“The feeling is _mew-_ tual,” Liam responded in between peals of laughter.

 

“I do,” Harry insisted. “I hate you.”

 

Liam laughed harder.

 

“I’ll rip your big chain right through your neck,” Harry warned. “How are you gonna be ‘Big Daddy Payno’ without a head _or_ a chain, huh?”

 

Liam fell off the couch with the force of his laughter.

 

Harry sighed.

 

He couldn’t believe he was gonna give this idiot an interview.

 

When Liam’s lung-rupturing laughter had died down, Harry sighed from his stretched-out position on the couch.

 

“I’ll try to set something up,” he said.

 

Liam threw himself on Harry’s legs. “I love you, bro.”

 

“Only when I’m getting you things,” Harry responded, deadpan.

 

Liam nodded. “Of course.”

 

Harry nudged him. “Now get off of me.”

 

Liam rolled off. “Gonna go see Chat Noir?” he asked as Harry got up.

 

Harry shook his head. “Gonna go sleep for thirteen hours.”

 

Liam laughed. “You’re gonna go give your stray cat some milk,” he said knowingly.

 

Harry walked through his doorway without an acknowledgement. 

 

“Use protection!” Liam called.

 

Harry shut the door.

 

He could still hear Liam’s laughter through it.

 

The next afternoon, Harry waited in their living room for Liam to come home from his afternoon class. It was just like any other Thursday, except -- oh, wait -- Harry was fully transformed.

 

He spread out and hummed, messing with a curl that had fallen out of his bun.

 

He looked at the clock, restless. _2:30_ , it blinked at him. He sighed, shifting around.

 

Harry hummed a pop song he had been listening to earlier.

 

He looked at the clock again. _2:31_.

 

Where was Liam? This was so _boring_.

 

Harry didn’t have long to wait, though, as a few minutes later, he heard the scrape of the lock in the door. He shot up, sitting up straight on the couch in front of the door. He watched the door as it opened _agonizingly_ slowly.

 

Liam walked in, earbuds in his ears and eyes down on his phone, and closed the door behind him. He looked up as he threw his key at the kitchen counter and froze, eyes wide. The keys clattered to the floor.

 

“Hi,” Harry offered.

 

“H-hi?” Liam responded, clearly in shock.

 

“Um, your friend asked me to come give you an interview? Harry?” Harry said. “So, um, here I am?” It sounded more like a question than the statement he had intended.

 

“I- yes!” Liam said, popping back into action. “Yeah! I’d love to interview you!” Liam said, excitedly rushing to sit next to him.

 

Harry nodded happily as Liam pulled out his phone, shaking a little in his excitement. He tapped the screen.

 

“Hey, Ladyblog viewers!” he said enthusiastically. “I’m here today with the man himself, Ladybug!”

 

He turned the lens to Harry, who waved politely.

 

“Hello.”

 

Liam grinned encouragingly at Harry, looking for all the world like a sweet little puppy. “He’s agreed to do a little improv interview with me for all of you! And since he sort of dropped in unexpectedly…” Harry gave a little shrug, like, _what can you do_. “We’re going to do a speed round of me asking whatever I think of!”

 

Harry laughed.

 

“You up for it, Ladybug?”

 

Harry nodded excitedly. “Let’s do it!”

 

Liam grinned. “Alright! So, I’m just gonna ask you a bunch of questions and you try to answer as fast as you can!”

 

Harry nodded. “Got it!”

 

“So, question number one, uh, are you a cat person or a dog person?”

 

Harry laughed. “I gotta be honest, I’m really more of a dog person.”

 

Liam gasped in mock-horror. “What would Chat Noir say?”

 

Harry laughed. “I like cats, too!” he defended. “I just think dogs are better!”

 

Liam shook his head disappointedly, but the grin on his face belied his opinion.

 

“There’s only _one_ cat whom I really love,” Harry said, giggling.

 

“Ooh,” Liam said. “And that leads us right into my next question: are you single?”

 

Harry laughed. “Who am I, a pop musician? Why don’t you ask me about my job!”

 

Liam grinned. “Alright, okay, sorry.”

 

Harry chuckled, dimples digging deep into his cheeks. This was nice. “No, it’s fine, I know what you want to hear.” He looked square into the camera rather than at Liam. “I’m not dating Chat Noir, though. Or anyone, actually.”

 

Liam laughed. “Do you want to be?”

 

“Dating anyone or just Chat Noir?”

 

“Anyone,” Liam shrugged.

 

Harry couldn’t help his blush. “Do you?” he deflected.

 

“I’m not the one being interviewed!” Liam said good-naturedly. “Alright, then, next up: which weapon do you like more, your magical yo-yo or Chat’s staff?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I mean, both are cool. They’re very good. They both can, like, hit people and make phone calls and stuff. But I think I’m a little biased toward my own.”

 

Liam leaned in, interested. “Your weapons can make phone calls?”

 

Harry nodded. “And video calls, actually. It’s pretty handy when we need to contact each other.”

 

“Could you, like, access the internet through it?”

 

“Um, I don’t know, actually.” He pulled the tool in question off of his hip. He swung it open and tapped the round screen, holding it up to the camera as it lit up.

 

“Oh, that’s cool!” Liam said.

 

Harry nodded. “Yeah, it is, isn’t it?” He tapped on the thing a few times. “Um, wait, yeah! I can get to like, a few sites.”

 

“That’s so cool!” Liam gushed. He laughed to himself. “Is that where you keep your nudes?”

 

Harry choked on his laughter. “No! No, I don’t have any naughty photos on here, oh my _god_ , Liam!”

 

Liam laughed along, practically guffawing at Ladybug’s expression. As the laughter died down, he suddenly looked very crafty.

 

“Oh no,” Harry said. “What’s that look on your face?”

 

Liam laughed ominously. “I’m not doing anything.”

 

“Why do I feel like you’re about to tell me to do something ridiculous,” Harry said.

 

Liam frinned. “Well, you aren’t far off there, maybe. How would you feel about calling Chat Noir right now?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know if it’ll go through.”

 

Liam looked disappointed. “Why not?”

 

“I mean, he’s probably not suited up right now, you know? I can’t call him if he doesn’t have his staff on him.”

 

“So it comes with the suit? Wouldn’t he have that with him, even in civilian form? Like, in a bag or under his clothes?”

 

Harry laughed. “I don’t know how _anyone_ could disguise that bell under a t-shirt.”

 

Liam started to laugh as well at the image it conjured in his head. “Maybe he’d just wear a scarf all the time, you know?”

 

“Probably get some weird looks.”

 

Liam laughed harder.

 

“Like, it’ll be hot out and he’d be in jeans and this big scarf,” Harry elaborated. “Just in this constant state of looking like a teenager hiding his first hickey from his parents.”

 

He waited for Liam’s laughter to slow down before he continued.

 

“But, erm, actually, our suits are magical, I don’t really know how else to say it.”

 

“It sounds silly when you put it like that.”

  
  
“Yeah, it does, a bit. But, like, we can kind of, uh, summon them? When we need to? I don’t want to get into too much detail, for safety reasons.”

 

Liam nodded. “Understandable. Would you be able to recognize Chat Noir in his civilian form? Like if we took to the streets and talked to a bunch of people?”

 

Harry shook his head. “We don’t know each other's’ identities, actually.”

 

“Really?” Liam sounded surprised.

 

“Yep,” Harry said, nodding. “It’s another safety thing. Like a kind of fail-safe, almost. So that if one of us were to get akumatized or captured by Hawkmoth or something, we wouldn’t be able to give him that information. We don’t tell anyone our identities, obviously, and I’m pretty sure nobody’s figured either one of us out yet.”

 

“That could get awkward,” Liam agreed. “Your whole civilian life would suck. Can you imagine if everyone knew Clark Kent was Superman? Or Peter Parker was Spider-man?”

 

Harry nodded. “They’d probably get fired.”

 

“Just out of curiosity, do you work at a newspaper as well?”

 

Harry shook his head. “I’d be a terrible reporter.”

 

Liam laughed. “Going back, though, do you ever wonder if you know each other in real life?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I mean, obviously we’re gonna think about it sometimes. We’re very close to each other, which is kind of weird because we don’t even know who the other is? But, yeah, I’ve wondered. If we knew each other in real life, it would be just… the irony would be ridiculous. But that’s a very small chance. There’s millions of people our age in Paris.”

 

Liam nodded. “For all you know, I could be Chat Noir.”

 

Harry laughed. “You could be! I hope you’d tell me before you start drilling me about what I think of him!”

  
Liam laughed. “What do you think of Chat Noir?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I love him, obviously. We’ve been through a lot together. He’s one of my closest friends.”

 

“What’s his most annoying trait?”

 

Harry chuckled. “Annoying? Oh, I don’t know! I wouldn’t say he’s annoying! A bit of a flirt, I guess, but that’s not bad. He’s very dramatic.”

 

“That annoys you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Does anything?”

 

“Not really. Like I said, we’re very close.”

 

“Alright…” Liam said. “Hey, while I’ve got you here, what’s your secret identity?”

 

Harry laughed, standing up.

 

“No, wait! Don’t leave!” Liam laughed. “I was just kidding!”

 

Harry set a foot up on the open windowsill and waved goodbye sweetly, the slight breeze brushing some of his loose curls.

 

“Thank you!” Liam called as Harry leapt out the window and used his yo-yo to swing away.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis watched the screen go dark for the fourteenth time. He rewinded to the moment just before Ladybug left, when he was standing with one foot on the windowsill, waving. He paused the video and stared. A few loose curls were frozen on his face, ruffled by the air. His smile was wide and genuine, showcasing those dimples in his cheeks. Louis longed to poke one, just to see if it made the smile even bigger. Ladybug’s eyes were almost shut from the force of his smile, but Louis could still see the sliver of green. Or maybe he just knew them well enough. The boy was adorable. Louis looked at the slight blur of his hand in its frozen wave. He smiled at the cuteness of the whole scene.

 

“Really?” a voice said from over his shoulder.

 

Louis turned to see Plagg floating nearby, holding a chunk of cheese the size of his head.

 

“What?” Louis said defensively.

 

“You’re watching this again?” Plagg said.

 

Louis shrugged. “I like it.”

 

“You could probably quote it word-for-word.”

 

“That’s not true,” Louis defended.

 

“You need to get out there,” Plagg said, tossing up the chunk of cheese and catching it in his mouth.

 

“I’m not about to take dating advice from a four thousand year old glorified cat.”

 

“I’m not a cat,” Plagg said before swallowing. “I’m better.”

 

Louis laughed at that.

 

Plagg bumped into his head. “Don’t be fucking rude.”

 

Louis laughed again, but shut the laptop to give the kwami his full attention.

 

“I wasn’t talking about _dating_ , anyways,” Plagg said. “That stuff’s gross and overdone. If you want happiness, just buy a bunch of food.” Louis laughed, swatting at the kwami. “You’re too sappy for your own good,” Plagg said before Louis had a chance to speak. “But I was talking about patrol. It’s your night.”

 

“Oh!” Louis said, jumping out of his seat. “Why didn’t you say that first?”

 

“Because you’d just cut me off with-” Plagg was cut off by Louis’ yell and sucked into the power ring before he could do anything else. Green light illuminated the room, making it look like some sort of alien invasion was happening. Louis spared a thought for what the pedestrians walking below his window must think.

 

He walked out onto his small balcony and leaped out into the night, walking along roofs and keeping an eye out for danger.

 

The walk was pretty smooth from his place to Harry’s. He only had to stop two muggers and one shady-looking dude trying to corner a woman in an alleyway. Not bad for the big city.

 

Louis walked down the sidewalks, among the people. He didn’t mind the stares and the whispers. Those happened to him in his everyday life as well. He walked past a few advertisements with his face on them. It was from his most recent perfume shoot. Louis stopped in front of one, on an empty stretch of concrete.

 

He considered the giant face before him. It was weird how it was and wasn’t him. He touched the mask on his own face and considered the photo in front of him. Strange how the one with the mask was more true.

 

Louis heard some chatter from a group turning the corner and continued on his walk. He was getting pretty close to Harry’s flat.

 

When he arrived at the bakery, Louis climbed onto the roof, but their usual spot was empty.

 

Light was streaming out through the closed window. Louis slowly approached, staying in the shadows.

 

Something moved behind the window, and Louis stepped back as it opened. Harry stuck his head out.

 

“Chat?” he called quietly.

 

Louis stepped forward. The light highlighted his dark suit against the night. Louis felt almost like he was in some dramatic story as he watched the wind ruffle Harry’s loose curls.

 

“Are you coming in?” Harry asked, stepping back. Louis climbed forward and stepped smoothly into the room.

 

Harry moved to sit on his bed. “I was just studying. I have an essay to write for this literature class I’m in. It’s due pretty soon.”

 

Louis nodded. “I do, too, actually,” he laughed.

 

Harry grinned. “Really?”

 

Louis nodded.

 

Harry sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “Problem is, I don’t remember much of the actual class.”

 

Louis raised an eyebrow. “Really? You don’t strike me as someone who’d be bad at school.” Bad at anything, really.

 

Harry shrugged. “I’m not. It’s just… well, there’s a boy…” he trailed off.

 

Louis’ lungs felt too small all of the sudden.

 

“Oh?” he said with a forced lightness. He didn’t understand why this bothered him so much.

 

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “He’s so pretty, it’s distracting. I can’t focus on anything because the way he just… _exists_ , oh, Chat, it’s _breathtaking_.”

 

Louis’ discomfort was overshadowed by familiarity. “Yeah…” he sighed. “I know what you mean.” Louis sat down on the floor and leaned against the side of the bed. Images of green eyes and a red suit filled his mind.

 

“Oh?” Harry asked.

 

Louis nodded.

 

“Tell me about him,” Harry said, laying down on the bed, hanging his head upside-down over the edge next to Louis’ own.

 

Louis giggled and booped Harry’s nose.

 

“Well,” he started. “He’s the most gorgeous boy I’ve ever seen, for one. He’s tall and strong -- and not just physically. He makes everyone around him strong, as well. He makes _me_ strong. He’s determined and sure and he’s got such passion for things. I’ve only seen him really let loose once, though, and it was the best night of my life.”

 

Harry nodded enthusiastically, curls bouncing as he did. “My boy’s like that, too. He’s more… fiery, though. He’s bright color and happy music but at the same time he’s gentle and makes everyone feel at home.”

 

“He sounds nice,” Louis said. The words stung in his throat.

 

“He is,” Harry sighed. “The nicest.”

 

The two sat quietly for a while.

 

“I wish I could tell him how I feel,” Harry whispered. “I wish I could talk to him at all, actually.”

 

“Why don’t you?” Louis asked, turning to make eye contact. Harry’s face was very close to his. His cheeks were bright pink from being upside-down so long, but he didn’t seem in a hurry to move at all. He hardly blinked as the two stared at each other. Harry swallowed audibly.

 

“I can’t say anything around him,” Harry said finally, looking away. “I get embarrassed and clumsy and can’t get anything out.”

 

Louis nodded. “I can’t tell mine, either.”

 

Harry frowned. “Why not?”

 

Louis looked away finally. “I just can’t work up the courage. I flirt with him -- tons -- but he’s never flirted back. I don’t know if he even sees me.”

 

Harry dropped a hand to cup Louis’ cheek. “Hey.”

 

Louis lifted his own gloved hand to cover it. Not that his was nearly as big as Harry’s hand. “Hey.”

 

“He must see you. And if he doesn’t, he must be blind! You’re brave and funny and kind and a little reckless at times, yes, but you do it because you’re capable of _so much love_ , Chat. Any boy would be stupid not to love you back.”

 

Louis’ lashes fluttered and his cheeks pinkened. He was suddenly thankful for his mask covering up as much of his face as it did.

 

Louis was suddenly very aware of how close the two of them were. Harry’s hand was still on his face; his hand was holding it there. He could feel Harry’s breath on his skin. He looked down into Harry’s eyes -- they were so _green!_ \-- and felt his own eyes closing as they both leaned in.

 

Their lips touched, gently at first, then Harry pushed into his. Louis leaned back into him happily. Even with Harry upside-down, their lips slotted together perfectly. Something felt whole and golden in Louis’ chest as they kissed -- it felt so _right_ \-- Louis never wanted to stop. Green eyes flashed in his head -- yes, _Harry’s_ eyes. But, no -- those eyes weren’t for him. Harry had his own boy to pine after, and Louis, yes, Louis had his own, too. How could he feel so whole kissing Harry like this when his heart was reserved for Ladybug?

 

Louis leaned back, separating them. Harry chased him for just a second before tilting his face away.

 

Louis watched his eyes flutter open in profile.

 

His cheeks were pink -- both of them probably were. Louis’ face felt hot. Harry’s hand slipped off of it and it became ice. Louis tore his eyes away from the other boy and his cascading curls.

 

“Um,” Harry said.

 

“I feel like Mary-Jane,” Louis joked, trying to lighten the thick air.

 

Harry laughed, but something felt forced in it. “I’d be your Spider-man any day.”

 

Louis smiled at Harry’s opposite wall. “I thought I was the only superhero here.”

 

“You thought wrong.”

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

They didn’t talk about the kiss. Harry had seen Chat Noir twice since it had happened. Neither one of them mentioned it. They didn’t talk about their loves, either. But since that night, the two had started to hug each other goodbye. It made sense; Harry hugged all his close friends. Liam, Niall -- well, those were his closest friends nowadays. He’d seen more of Louis lately, too, but he wasn’t sure he’d survive a hug from _him_.

 

Speaking of Louis, he was just walking into the park with Liam, heading towards Harry and Niall.

 

The four of them (Liam, Louis, Harry, and Niall) had begun to hang out as a unit lately. Harry had to admit that it was nice, and not just because Louis was there. The four of them just got on really well. _And_ it had some side effects that proved beneficial to Harry.

 

“Hey, Li, Lou,” Harry greeted. That’s right. He greeted Louis like a normal person, without falling down or stuttering or burning his face off with the force of his blush.

 

“Hey, H!” Louis grinned at him. Harry felt his cheeks go pink as he melted internally.

 

It was not a perfect system.

 

“Is Niall okay?” Liam asked.

 

The boy in question was spread out on the grass at their feet.

 

“He’s fine,” Harry said. “I think. We were just talking about that Lit essay.”

 

“It’s not _lit_ ,” Niall said into the grass. “Unless its lit with the fires of _Hell_.”

 

“ _Yes,_ ” Louis said, sliding down to lay across Niall’s back. He still looked fabulous as he did it, though, which was a feat Harry could never pull off. Side effects of being a model. “I’ve been trying to write it for fifty years,” he said dramatically. “Death is staring me in the face.”

 

“If we die right now, though,” Niall replied, turning his face so his words could be understood, “we don’t have to turn it in.”

 

“You know,” Louis said, looking at him as if he’d just made a valid point, “that’s true.”

 

“Oh my god,” Liam said. “Can you two, please, like, love yourselves?”

 

“Niall, I will literally call your mother,” Harry said.

 

Niall lifted himself up, making Louis fall off of him. “Please don’t,” he said over Louis’ grumbles. “How did you even get her number?” he complained.

 

Harry giggled. “I’ve got my ways.”

 

“He’s very popular with older women,” Liam said, nudging Harry.

 

Harry laughed. It was common knowledge that Harry was about as gay as they come.

 

Niall flopped back onto the grass. Harry and Liam sat down. “She just wants to adopt you,” he groaned. “It’s those damn curls -- make her think you’re some sort of angel.”

 

“I am,” Harry said, running a hand through his long hair.

 

“He is,” Louis agreed.

 

Harry blushed and suddenly became very interested in the grass by his feet. His head wasn’t lowered to shield his grin, nope.

 

Liam ruffled Harry’s hair. “It’s getting a tad long, though,” he said, almost wistfully.

 

Harry shook his head, flopping his hair all over his face as he looked up. “Nope.”

 

Louis and Niall laughed.

 

Liam pouted. “How do you even deal with it being so long? Just seems like a lot of work to me.”

 

Harry laughed. “We share a bathroom, Liam. You spend half an hour in there every morning getting that volume.”

 

Niall started cackling and rolled onto his back, putting his head on Harry’s knee.

 

“You just went for his _life_ , right there, you did!”

 

The four of them settled comfortably.

 

“We should _do_ something,” Niall groaned.

 

“Like what?” Liam asked.

 

Niall shrugged. “I don’t know. What can you do with four people and no movement?”

 

Harry laughed. “There aren’t any games like that, Niall. Unless you want to play something dumb, like _truth or dare_.”

 

Niall sat up. “No, we should! Let’s play that!”

 

Harry laughed. “What is this, middle school?”

  
  
“No, really, we should!” Niall said. “There are a few things I’ve been _dying_ to force Louis to tell me!”

 

Liam laughed. “That’s a pure intention if I’ve ever heard one.”

 

Louis side-eyed Niall. “I’m not so sure about this game.”

 

Liam grinned. “Let’s play.”

 

Niall popped up. “I’ll go first! Louis: truth or dare!”

 

“Dare,” Louis said immediately.

 

Niall frowned at him. “Fine.” He looked around. “I dare you… to… dump your water bottle on Liam!”

 

“What?” Liam said.

 

Louis grinned evilly, picking up his plastic bottle and unscrewing the lid.

 

“Hey, Liam,” he said. “Come over here for a second.”

 

“No!” Liam said, scurrying backwards.

 

Louis jumped up and began to chase him all over the park, water bottle open and splashing in his hand.

 

Harry and Niall craned their necks to watch. They heard a defeated yell, accompanied by maniacal laughter.

 

A few seconds later, Liam plopped down next to them, shirt soaked.

 

“Just so you know,” Liam said pointedly to Niall, “I hate you. Passionately.”

 

Louis sat down next to Niall, out of breath but happy. “Is it my turn?”

 

Liam glowered at him. “Yes.”

 

Louis grinned widely. It wasn’t even directed at him, but Harry melted from the cuteness.

 

“Lee-yum,” he sang. “Truth or dare?”

 

“I’m not risking it,” Liam said. “Truth.”

 

“Alright,” Louis responded. “How big’s your dick?”

 

Liam choked.

 

“W-what?”

 

“You heard me,” Louis said.

 

Harry felt his cheeks go bright pink. He turned his face down to the ground, but glanced up at his stuttering best friend.

 

“I- I don’t-”

 

Harry began to grin. He looked up at Liam. “Are you gonna answer him?”

 

Liam gaped at him. “I- no?”

 

Harry laughed. He turned to Niall and Louis. “It’s _big_.”

 

“ _Harry!_ ” Liam gasped.

 

Niall fell down with the force of his laughter.

 

Louis looked surprised but excited.

 

“Oh my _god_ ,” he whispered. “How big?” he asked Harry, eyes wide.

 

Harry shot him a look. “ _Big._ ”

 

Louis burst out laughing. “How do you even _know?_ ” he asked between laughs.

 

Harry grinned.

 

“You don’t live with Harry Styles for three years without seeing some things,” Liam said, “and having some things be _seen_.”

 

Harry burst out laughing. “Oh my god, it’s not like that!”

 

“What _happens_ at that apartment?” Louis asked incredulously, barely holding back bubbling laughter.

 

Harry laughed loudly, throwing his head back.

 

“Hey-” Niall said, propping himself up on his elbows. “Liam, I think it’s your turn.”

 

“Okay, Niall,” Liam said, turning smoothly. “Truth or dare?”

 

Niall shrugged. “Dare.”

 

Liam grinned. “Dump a snowcone down Louis’ shirt.”

 

“I don’t even have a snowcone!” Niall laughed.

 

Liam shrugged. “Should probably go buy one.”

 

Niall grinned, jumping up.

 

“No,” Louis warned. “ _Stop._ ”

 

Harry laughed.

 

Louis turned back to the group as Niall ran away. “Wasn’t the whole point of playing this that he _didn’t_ have to stand up?” he asked.

 

“You should be _proud_ , Louis,” Liam said. “You’ve given his legs purpose again.”

 

The three watched Niall gleefully purchase a snowcone.

 

“I am not a fan of this game. Just for the record.” Louis said flatly.

 

Harry laughed, eyes sparkling at the boy.

 

Louis looked right back at him. The sun shone in his bright blue eyes -- or maybe it was his own light shining through. Louis’ laughter was evident in the crinkles by his eyes and the wideness of his smile; Harry wondered how the world ever got cold, with this sun right here. He wanted to stare at that face for the rest of his life.

 

Suddenly, Louis broke eye contact with a shocked yelp. He bent over, revealing Niall standing behind him with an evil grin and an empty paper cone.

 

In the other hand, of course, was a full one, which Niall was currently hiding his grin behind.

 

“ _Fuck_ , that’s _cold!_ ” Louis yelled. Shit, even his angry shocked face was adorable. Louis started laughing through it, though, and Harry, much like the ice on Louis’ warm skin, began to melt.

 

“ _Shit_ ,” Louis said quietly. He turned around to face Niall, grinning.

 

Niall laughed and sat down next to him, bumping their shoulders together.

 

“My turn?” Niall asked, licking his red snowcone.

 

Harry nodded.

 

“Nice,” Niall said. “Harry?”

 

Harry nodded. “I accept my fate.”

 

Niall laughed. “Truth or dare?”

  
  
“Truth.”

 

“When did you last kiss someone?”

 

“Aw,” Louis smacked his laughing friend, “that’s so tame.”

 

“I couldn’t do something bad!” Niall laughed. “Look at him! I couldn’t make those curls and big green eyes say something _naughty!_ ”

 

Harry laughed loudly.

 

“You still have to answer it, though,” Louis pointed out.

 

“I can answer that easily,” Liam said. “Harry hasn’t kissed anyone in nearly a ye- why are you blushing?”

 

Harry looked away. “I’m not!”

 

“Oh my god,” Liam said. “Did you kiss someone?”

 

Harry looked further away, twisting almost completely away from his friend. “No?”

 

Louis sat back, a satisfied smile on his face. Harry didn’t have time to wonder why with the onslaught from his other friends.

 

“Who?” Niall asked, pressing forward.

 

Harry’s blush deepened. “Nobody!” he insisted. His voice sounded higher than usual, even to himself.

 

“Oh my god, was it Chat Noir?” Liam asked.

 

Harry blushed even harder. “I- It definitely wasn’t… Chat Noir,” Harry protested weakly.

 

Liam gasped, hands rising dramatically to his face and all. “ _Holy shit,_ it _was!_ _I knew it!_ And you told me you _weren’t_ fuckbuddies!”

 

Louis sputtered at that, for some reason. Harry was too preoccupied with his own defense to take note of it.

 

“We’re not!”

 

“You kissed him, though!” Liam looked and sounded like a kid with candy. “When?”

 

“What was it like?” Niall asked, grinning like he was in on a joke nobody else understood. But he was always grinning for one reason or another.

 

Harry blushed harder. “We’re not, like- we aren’t dating or anything! We’re just friends! We just had- a _moment!_ ”

 

Liam laughed. “This gets better with every word. You look like a tomato, mate.”

 

Harry groaned. He glanced at Louis to gauge his reaction. He wore a little smirk that he was clearly trying to hold inside, as if he was in on the secret with Niall. This, he took note of.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“ _Niall_ ,” Louis sighed dramatically, flopping down onto his couch.

 

“Louis,” Niall replied less theatrically.

 

“ _Niall_ ,” Louis whined, “my friend, my _best_ friend, the only one who _understands_ -”

 

“What do you want, Tommo?” Niall asked without a trace of annoyance in his voice.

 

Louis sighed again. “I’m in _love_.”

 

Niall swivelled in his chair at this. “Wow, this is surprising,” he said, raising his eyebrows in a way that suggested he wasn’t very surprised at all. “What boy is lucky enough to have captured the heart of the Hero of Paris?”

 

Louis sighed. “I wish it was me.”

 

Niall’s mouth opened in a small ‘o.’ “I see,” he said.

 

Louis nodded miserably. “Yeah,” he sighed.

 

“Does he know?” Niall asked.

 

“I mean, he must, right?” Louis looked to his friend for reassurance but gave him no time to respond before he was talking again. “I flirt with him constantly, probably more than we actually fight. During the fights, a lot of the time. I’d do anything for him, though. If he asked me to give him my miraculous I’d serve it to him on a silver platter, probably. I’m so fucked.”

 

Niall opened his mouth with a childish grin.

 

“And _not_ in the good way,” Louis cut him off with a pointing finger, knowing Niall all too well.

 

Niall laughed anyways.

 

The two sat in silence for a while, Niall happily and comfortably, Louis stewing in his own thoughts.

 

It was nice to think about Ladybug; that was his problem. Because as nice as it was, it was also agonizing to know that he would happily stare into those eyes for the rest of his life and past that but Ladybug didn’t even know -- or worse, didn’t feel the same. Or even _worse_ , knew _and_ didn’t feel the same but was just being polite about it. Louis sighed. He wished he could see those eyes right now, those shining, forest green eyes with their intelligence and irresistible stubbornness, because he never felt the pain when they were in front of him. How could he? Being anything less than awed was impossible faced with those eyes and their unstoppable light. It was impossible to feel sad when this star had come down from the sky and graced him with its presence, impossible to feel hurt at all when that soft gaze struck him.

 

Louis sighed. He always gave Louis love, even if it wasn’t the love he wanted. He was always kind and allowing to him and never allowed him to feel like any less than he was. Louis sighed again, throwing his head to the side dramatically.

 

“Do you want to talk about it or are you just going to sigh dramatically every few seconds?” Niall asked.

 

Louis cracked an eye open. “I don’t know if you’re ready for what I’ve got in here.”

 

“Jesus, Lou, I don’t want to suck your dick, just get on with it already.”

 

Louis started laughing.

 

“I don’t even know where to start,” he said when his laughter had died down.

 

“Anywhere’s fine,” Niall shrugged. “I actually don’t know much about him, other than what I’ve seen on the news. You never really brought him up, for obvious reasons.”

 

Louis opened both eyes to fully look at his friend. “Really?”

 

Niall nodded.

 

“Seems weird to me, as he’s such a huge person in my life.”

 

Niall shrugged. “Side effects of being a superhero.”

 

Louis nodded, considering where to start.

 

“He’s brave,” he finally said quietly. “Obviously. The best hero that I’ve ever seen. I’ve only seen one, but he’s as good as they come, I think. He’s selfless; I’ve seen him fall off a curb in his haste to apologize to a small dog for tripping over it. One time on patrol, he bought seven pizzas and just walked around handing out slices to anyone who wanted one. So clearly he’s kind.

 

“He’s good for more reasons than that, though, although the whole superhero thing is already a good indicator. He’s always nice and he’s so supportive of me, even when we’re talking about our civilian lives in thinly veiled terms. He’s like -- he’s an anchor. And he’s honestly why I got this six months ago.” Louis lifted his wrist and tapped on the rope tattoo which wrapped around it, twisting itself into an infinity sign.

 

“But even on top of that, he’s brilliant,” Louis continued. “He’s the brains behind our whole operation. Comes up with most of our plans and most of the games we play on patrol some nights.”

 

“I thought those were for, like, safety,” Niall interjected.

 

Louis laughed. “They are! But we also need other things to do while we keep an eye out. Sometimes we ride the metro in our full getups, just for shock value. That’s fun. Oh! And we play dumb games, like hide-and-seek, but we both cheat at it so it’s not as hard as it has the potential to be.”

 

“How do you cheat at hide-and-seek?”

 

Louis laughed. “We check social media tags.”

 

Niall laughed.

 

“Yeah,” Louis continued. “Patrols are really nice. Sometimes we just sit and talk.”

 

The room went quiet for a few moments.

 

“He’s got the best voice,” Louis whispered. “It’s really deep and kind of gravelly and he always sounds like he’s tired. He talks really slow, which should be annoying and would be if it was anyone else, but somehow it never bothers me when it’s him. I always love what he’s saying. And he talks about a lot of shit, too -- last week, he was ranting on about these plant-eating dinosaurs, he said they were the biggest ever, I don’t even know what the point of it was, but now I know all about how a fuckin’ sauropod travels in herds.”

 

“What?” he asked Niall, who had a strange look on his face.

 

“Nothing,” he said. “Just never seen anyone talk so fondly about a boring-ass dinosaur.”

 

“Hey,” Louis said, “they were the biggest fuckers around back before that meteor. Those things probably ate like a forest a week.”

 

Niall was laughing.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Louis laughed along. “Yeah, he’s worn off on me, a little.”

 

Niall nodded. “No kidding. Hopefully you’ll get some of his better traits to balance out your own shitty ones.”

 

Louis threw a couch pillow at Niall’s head.

 

Their laughter died down. Louis sighed again into the silence.

 

“What does he look like?” Niall asked quietly. “Like, up close?”

 

Louis shrugged. “Beautiful. Perfect. I don’t even know what you want me to say. He keeps his hair up in that bun but it’s long and curly and shiny and it’s _really_ soft. I always want to run my hands in it and maybe pull it a little, like I’m some schoolboy on a playground somewhere.” He shook his head to clear it. “But he’s got the best eyes, too. They’re green -- like, really green; sometimes they’re like a seaglass color, in the right light, but a lot of the time they’re mostly a forest green. I can even tell the color when it’s dark out, with just the streetlamps and bakery lights to see by.

 

“But past the color, his eyes are still the most gorgeous because you can really see _him_ when you get close. Like, all his light and beauty, but also all the flaws. He’s stubborn and serious sometimes, but he’s also got a wicked sense of humor, like, he makes these really sly jokes that are really funny, Niall, you’ve got to hear one someday.”

 

Niall shrugged. “Maybe I will.” His voice was quieter than it had started.

 

“I wish,” Louis said in a hushed voice to match the gravity of the conversation. He felt so open and vulnerable, but at the same time, he couldn’t imagine stopping this flow now. It was all pouring out of him uncontrollably.

 

“I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone before, Niall, I honestly don’t know what to do. I just feel like he’s this giant star who dropped right out of the sky in front of me and I’m just a regular guy, like, he belongs up _there_ ,” he gestured up, referring to the universe as a whole, “where all the light is and all the life starts. That’s where he belongs, up where everything’s beautiful and the stars blink hello from all around. Harry should always have everyone looking at him. I’m shocked they don’t, actually. I can hardly take my eyes off of him for even a second.”

 

“Ladybug,” Niall said.

 

“...Yeah,” Louis replied. “I know. I love him.”

 

“You said Harry,” Niall pointed out.

 

“What?”

 

Niall nodded.

 

“I…” Louis was stunned. He couldn’t honestly say it was a mistake. Somewhere in his monologue, his subject had switched. The air in Louis’ lungs felt different as he continued to breathe.

 

“I did,” he whispered.

 

“Do you?” Niall asked.

 

“Do I what?” Louis responded, turning to look at him.

 

“Do you love him? Harry?”

 

Louis breathed in deeply. He couldn’t deny it. He laughed, but it wasn’t his usual laugh.

 

“I don’t know,” he breathed, sounding a thousand times more shocked than Niall looked.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry walked into the busy coffee shop, searching for his friends. He bounced up on his tiptoes to look for Niall and Louis over all the people standing around, but, unfortunately for him, they were too short to spot immediately. Harry finally caught sight of them in the corner and pushed his way towards them.

 

He got caught behind a table and a group just a few feet away from the two of them, where he could hear them but not see them.

 

“Why are you doing this?” Niall was demanding.

 

“I don’t know!” Louis burst out. “I just -- it’s not fair of me to, like, hold him back from anything. Even if I had everything figured out, I have no right to him!”

 

“But, Lou, this is insane,” Niall said. “You-”

 

“Louis! Niall!” Harry yelled as the group finally moved out of his way.

 

The two looked up at him. They were standing, Harry just towered over them. It would be almost comical from an outside view.

 

“Hey, H,” Louis said, face lighting up with a fond grin. Harry blushed. He still hadn’t gotten control over his reactions to Louis’ presence, yet, though it was getting better.

 

Niall shot a frustrated glance at Louis. “Hello,” he greeted Harry.

 

Harry tried to stop the confused wrinkle of his brow.

 

“Harry, Young Harold,” Louis said to him happily, “I have a proposition for you.”

 

Harry raised an eyebrow and held his breath. “Oh?” he inquired.

 

Louis nodded. “Yes, yeah,” he nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Louis,” Niall said with a warning tone.

 

“Niall,” Louis acknowledged, not breaking eye contact with Harry as he tapped Niall’s arm. “But, Harry, I’ve decided to set you up on a sort of blind date.”

 

Harry’s mouth opened. He didn’t know what to say. “Um.”

 

Louis nodded. “Just hear me out.”

 

Harry sat down at the nearby table. “... Alright.”

 

Louis slid in across from him. “At the last Ladybug Fan Club meeting-” Harry’s eyebrows rose and he pressed in a grin. “-I know, it’s kind of embarrassing, but whatever-” He waved it off. “-anyways, as I was saying, I noticed somebody who was really into you.”

 

Harry’s eyebrows rose again. “Really?” he said dryly.

 

Louis nodded again, bouncing in his seat. The normally hyperactive Niall watched with his chin resting in his hand and a disappointed expression on his face.

 

“I did, yeah, and I thought it may be fun for the two of you to go on a bit of a lunch date.”

 

Harry’s mouth opened wordlessly again. “I…”

 

Louis waved his hand. “Yeah, I know, I’m a great friend, whatever. But the important part is that I kind of went ahead and told her that you’d meet her for lunch today at 12:30.”

 

“But- but it’s 12:20!” Harry exclaimed.

 

Louis nodded sagely. “Yes, and she’s at a little cafe a few doors down. This place was much too noisy.”

 

Harry gaped at him.

 

“So you should probably hurry. I’ll show you the place.” Louis stood up quickly.

 

Harry watched him as he started to go, mouth still open.

 

Niall stood up. “We can’t exactly stop him,” he said, half apologetically.

 

“What?” was all Harry could manage to say.

 

He followed Louis and Niall out. The three of them approached the cafe.

 

“She’s in there,” Louis gestured.

 

“Wait-” Harry said, catching up to Niall. “Did he say ‘she?’”

 

Niall nodded.

 

“Oh _no,_ ” Harry said.

 

Niall looked at him, pieces coming together in his head. “Wait-”

 

Harry bit his lip. “Did I not mention that I’m gay?”

 

Niall grimaced. “Shit.”

 

Harry looked at the pleasant sign, face full of dread. “It’d be rude to not show up, I suppose.”

 

Louis nodded. “That’s the spirit!”

 

Harry took a deep breath and pushed through the door, glancing behind him for support.

 

He looked around the little room. It was much emptier than the coffee shop. Harry spotted Petra in the corner. Oh, _no._

 

Harry glanced back out the front window. Louis and Niall were gone.

 

Petra waved violently to him, looking much too excited. Harry bit his lip.

 

“Hello,” he said nervously as he sat down across from her, not even bothering to take his jacket off. He was hoping this would stay short.

 

“Hi,” she said sweetly.

 

Twenty minutes later, things were not going so nicely.

 

“You _dick!_ ” Petra yelled, throwing a glass of ice water in his face.

 

“I’m sorry!” Harry called earnestly at her retreating back. He honestly felt awful. Harry looked around at the other people staring at him and knew it was time to leave. Harry walked out the door slowly, looking at the ground, face red and showing every last drop of his distress. The actual drops of water dripped down from his hair as well, amplifying the cold Paris air as he stepped outside.

 

Louis and Niall rushed up.

 

“Oh, Harry, that looked _terrible_ ,” Niall said.

 

“Yeah,” Louis agreed, trying and failing to hold back a grin.

 

“What are you so pleased about?” Harry asked incredulously.

 

Louis blinked. “Me? Nothing,” he said quickly. “I’m so sorry it didn’t work out.”

 

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens,” Harry shrugged as his embarrassed flush ebbed away. “I just feel really bad for her.”

 

Niall shrugged. “It’s not your fault she was so into you. She had to find out one way or another.” He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out into the mostly empty street, “He’s gay, Petra!”

 

Louis laughed brilliantly. Harry’s mood immediately boosted. He felt a sliver of guilt at its buoyancy.

 

“Don’t do that,” he said, putting a hand on Niall’s arm. “She might hear you.”

 

Niall shrugged. “Alright.”

 

Louis stepped up close to Harry’s side. Harry, for his part, pretended that he didn’t feel his goosebumps grow goosebumps when their arms brushed.

 

“You’re cold,” Louis observed. He took his big jacket off and put it over Harry’s own, going on tiptoe to reach his far shoulder. Whereas it had been loose on Louis, the jacket fit perfectly on Harry’s broader frame.

 

“Thanks,” Harry said, still rubbing his arms.

 

“Still cold?” Louis asked. He threw an arm around Harry’s waist without waiting for a reply, rubbing his lower back.

 

Warmth immediately flooded all of Harry, including his face, which turned bright pink. He turned it away from Louis to hide that and his quiet, lovestruck smile.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“Why would you do that?” Niall questioned as soon as he and Louis stepped into Niall’s flat. “What’s wrong with you?” He smacked him.

 

Louis shrugged. “I know, I’m sorry, it wasn’t my best move.”

 

“You should be apologizing to _her_ ,” Niall replied, dropping onto his beat-up couch.

 

“Yeah,” Louis sighed. “But I just- I had to!”

 

“Why?” Niall lamented. “Poor girl.”

 

Louis sighed, sitting down next to his friend. “I was- dealing with something.”

 

“You literally told me two nights ago that you’re madly in love with Harry, and then you turn around and set him up with a girl? What’s going on?”

 

“First of all, I didn’t say _madly in love_. I’m mostly confused. But, like, I didn’t even know if he was straight!” Louis defended. The memory of Harry telling Chat about the boy he loved popped up in his mind. Louis felt his defense deflate and, after a moment, his stiff posture dropped. “But, um, I shouldn’t’ve done it, probably. I just needed to know, right? Like, how I’d feel, seeing him with someone else. And I figured, if she liked him so much, and it worked out, it would be fine, right? They’d be all happy and whatnot. And I’d get over it. But, like, I had to know.”

 

Niall looked at him knowingly. “So you set Harry and Petra up in the hopes that they’d fuck.”

 

Louis chucked a pillow at him. “ _No._ I kind of- I felt like pushing the problem away, you know?” he admitted finally.

 

Niall looked at him pityingly. “Oh, Louis.”

 

Louis sighed. “You know me, Niall. I’m a lot of talk, but, like, I’ve never even had a real relationship. My father sheltered me my whole childhood. I don’t know how to do this,” he said, gesturing at the whole world around him.

 

Niall put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “So you were acting out.”

 

“No. I was trying to find a way to not deal with my issues.”

 

“By acting out.”

 

“Fuck off, Niall. If anyone’s the adult in this relationship, it’s me. You’re literally eating a bowl of _God-knows_ -how-old cereal you just picked up off of your coffee table.”

 

Niall shrugged, cradling his bowl. “It’s my flat,” he said through a full mouth, “my cereal.”

 

Louis lifted a pillow threateningly.

 

“Alright, alright,” Niall said placatingly. “There’s no need for violence.”

 

Louis sat back on the couch and dropped the pillow into his lap, curling his legs up under him. He picked up Niall’s laptop and started scrolling through Netflix.

 

“So,” Niall said after a minute, “was it some sort of weird sexual thing?” He elaborated when Louis shot him a confused look. “Making us sit and watch Harry on his date.”

 

This time, Louis hit him with the pillow.

 

“I’m just asking!” Niall said. “I think I deserve to know. After all, I bear the scars of your jealousy.” He held up his arm, which still had a few red marks on the wrist from where Louis had squeezed it in his anger.

 

“Sorry,” Louis said, grabbing Niall’s spoon and eating a scoop of his cereal.

 

Niall shook his head. “You’re lucky I’m such a good friend,” he said, grabbing the spoon back and settling in to watch some romantic comedy.

 

Louis ended up staying at Niall’s place for the rest of the day and waking up there before class the next morning.

 

After a rather awkward class the next day, with Petra glaring daggers into the back of Louis’ head, Louis was stuck in an even more awkward club meeting, with Petra looking about ready to downright _murder_ him.

 

“Erm- are you two alright?” Liam interrupted his own speech to ask them.

 

Petra glared harder but remained silent.

 

Louis shrunk a little in his seat. “Yes?” he said in a small voice.

 

Petra jumped up without breaking her angry eye contact. “ _No_ , we are _not!_ ”

 

Liam took a step back. “Is this about the Harry thing, guys? Because we’re kind of trying to focus on the meeting right now-”

 

“What Harry thing?” Chloe piped up.

 

Petra whirled around to her friend. “I _told_ you! It was the most embarrassing moment of my _life!_ _He_ -” she pointed aggressively at Louis, “-set up up on a date with a _gay guy!_ ” Angry tears formed in her eyes and her face slowly turned red. “I really _liked_ him!”

 

Chloe patted her gently on the back. “Then it’s a good thing you found out he’s gay,” she said in a way probably meant to be comforting. “At least the reason he didn’t like you back was your gender and not your personality.”

 

Louis dropped a hand over his face and slid lower in his chair.

 

“ _That_ ,” Petra said slowly, throwing Chloe off of her, “ _does not… make it better!_ ”

 

Louis bit his lip and cracked his fingers to watch Liam’s reaction to the drama.

 

Liam was slowly edging away from the group, looking like he was about to flee before any serious crime occurred.

 

Petra rounded on him before he could have the chance. “And _you!_ Why didn’t you tell me he was gay?! He’s your best friend!”

 

Liam gulped. “I didn’t know you two were gonna go on a date,” he defended.

 

Louis winced in sympathy for Liam and slid even lower in his seat.

 

Petra gave a frustrated yell and marched out the door. The remaining people sat in stunned silence for a moment.

 

“That was the best meeting we’ve ever had,” Chloe said.

 

“Isn’t she your best friend?” Liam asked.

 

Chloe waved a hand. “She just sticks around for my money. I haven’t even known her very long at all,” she admitted, glancing at Louis.

 

Louis bit his lip. The group was quiet.

 

“Do you think we’ll be able to get anything else done today?” Liam asked them.

 

Louis shook his head.

 

“No way,” Chloe agreed. “That was fucking _wild_.”

 

Liam nodded. “Alright. I guess we can end it there.”

 

Louis stood up with everyone else. He walked over to Liam.

 

“Jesus, Lou, what the fuck made you think to set up her and Harry?” Liam asked. He had obviously already been informed of yesterday’s events by Harry.

 

Louis shrugged. “She really liked him?” he offered weakly.

 

Liam shoved his shoulder as they began to leave. “But Harry’s about as gay as they come, everyone knows that.”

 

Louis shrugged again. “Guess I didn’t.”

 

Liam shook his head tiredly, looking up at the cloudy sky. “Harry has outed himself three times in every single conversation he’s had in his life. Surely you’re not _that_ oblivious.”

 

Louis laughed. “I don’t know what to tell you, mate. I genuinely didn’t know.”

 

Liam sighed, throwing his arm around Louis. “No offense, Lou, but you must be some kind of fucking idiot.”

 

Louis silently agreed.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry heard Liam before he saw him.

 

“I’m _home!_ ” he called. “And I have got some drama to share!”

 

Harry’s head popped up over the back of their couch. Liam looked tired but excited.

 

“Hold on, let me get settled first.”

 

Harry stood up to follow Liam into their small kitchen. “Are you making tea?”

 

“Obviously.”

 

“Can I have some?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll make enough.”

 

Harry leaned his elbows onto the counter and placed his chin in his hand, waiting for his busy flatmate to turn around.

 

Finally, after a few moments of movement, he did.

 

“So,” he said.

 

“So?” Harry responded.

 

“It’s about Petra,” Liam finally said.

 

Harry groaned, dropping his face down onto the counter.

 

“It’s funny!” Liam insisted.

 

Harry groaned in answer.

 

“She flipped out at the meeting today.”

 

“The Ladybug Club?”

 

“Obviously. Why are you giggling?”

 

“No reason.”

 

“Okay… but, anyway, she was glaring daggers at Louis today and I asked if she was alright and she started yelling at everyone, even Chloe. Their friendship is probably over, actually. Chloe said that Petra only liked her for her money.”

 

“Damn,” Harry said. “Was it about the blind date thing?”

 

Liam rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”

 

Harry groaned. “I still feel so bad about that.”

 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Liam said. “It was a _blind_ date. You didn’t know.”

 

Harry’s lips twisted. “Yeah, but it was still really bad.”

 

Liam laughed. “I’m not gonna disagree with you there.”

 

Their electric kettle beeped, and Liam turned around to make their tea.

 

After a few moments of silence, Liam looked up at his friend. Harry was tracing little circles on their counter with a finger and looking troubled.

 

“You alright, H? Is it this whole date situation?”

 

Harry shrugged. “It’s gonna sound dumb.”

 

Liam shook his head. “Everything you say sounds dumb.”

 

Harry gave him an offended look. _“Excuse me, Liam…”_

 

Liam laughed and waved him off. “Seriously, though, what’s up?”

 

Harry sighed. “Just bothers me that Louis’ the one who set it up.”

 

Liam hummed.

 

“You know that I’m, like- half in love with him already,” Harry admitted. Liam raised an eyebrow, sure it was more than half. “And if he’s going around trying to set me up, well, then obviously he doesn’t feel the same way.” The slight tremor in Harry’s otherwise steady voice at the last word belied the emotion under his calm exterior. Liam circumvented the counter to put an arm around his friend.

 

“Don’t be stupid, H, any guy would be lucky to date you. And if he can’t see that, well, you’re too good for him anyway.”

 

Harry nodded. The comfort was nice, but it wasn’t about to make him love the boy any less.

 

“Besides,” Liam continued. “Louis didn’t know you were gay.”

 

Harry’s head whipped up. “What?”

 

“No idea how he hadn’t noticed,” Liam continued. “I mean, like, you’re so obvious all the time, you wear rainbow pins and make more innuendos than a talk show host-”

 

Harry straightened up, staring at Liam as if he’d just provided some profound realization.

 

“Why do you look like that?” Liam asked skittishly.

 

Harry grinned. “There’s hope for me yet, Liam,” he said happily, grabbing Liam’s shoulders.

 

“Um,” Liam replied.

 

Harry kissed him on the cheek. “You’ve just made me feel so much better, thanks.” And he ran off to his room, closing the door behind him.

 

Liam stood frozen, a confused look on his face.

 

“You’re welcome?”

 

Over in his room, Harry was spinning in his desk chair.

 

Louis hadn’t known Harry was gay. He didn’t know, which meant that maybe he _did_ like him as well, but was too polite to make a move on a presumably straight boy. And now that he _did_ know, Louis was free to openly flirt with him, and maybe even date him, then marry him and move to a nice big house in the country to raise twelve kids and a nice big dog and each morning, Harry would clip a rose off of their big rosebushes and leave it on the bedside table for Louis to wake up to in their big, soft bed and-

 

Harry was getting ahead of himself. Very ahead. There was no time to plan their picturesque future if Harry wasn’t even at a point where he could talk to the boy without stuttering and turning the color of those imaginary roses.

 

He sighed, swiveling to a stop facing the desk. Harry pulled an old leather journal close to him and flipped through the pages, looking for a specific list.

 

His eyes lit up as he found it and began to read through.

 

His own scratchy writing seemed to swirl and dance as it described the crinkles of those eyes which he could picture in his head, the imagined feel of the curve of his spine, the messy brown fringe which fell in those playful blue eyes, always alight with one joke or another, the airy little laugh which rang like a bell in his mind, the black leather suit which fit so well, and-

 

That was odd. Harry sat back, wondering at what point Louis had transformed into Chat Noir.

 

His lips twisted as he thought about it, but his mind refused to reach any sort of conclusion. The only thing that floated through his mind as he attempted to quantify his feelings for that superhero was a familiar sense of oddity.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis didn’t know why he was so nervous for this lunch. He’d hung out with these three so many times before; even just last week, and he hadn’t been nervous at all! But each moment which passed as he stood with Niall and Liam, waiting for the last of their small group, the anxiety and anticipation increased. It was getting harder and harder to tell himself he didn’t know what was up.

 

Liam and Niall were talking amongst themselves, probably something about winning in a fight, but Louis couldn’t stay interested.

 

“Dude, chill,” Niall suddenly said, placing a hand on Louis’ chest. “You’re gonna sprain your neck with the amount you’ve been twisting it around.”

 

Louis shrugged his hand off, ignoring Niall but facing his two friends.

 

Liam cocked an eyebrow. “Why are you acting like someone’s after you?”

 

“More like he’s after someone,” Niall intoned, nudging Liam in the side.

 

Recognition flooded Liam’s face and he nodded back at Niall with a little ‘ah.’

 

Louis frowned. “What?”

 

“Nothing,” the two said simultaneously.

 

Louis turned the full force of his glare onto Liam. He knew Niall would never crumble under his force, but Liam was softer, despite all appearances. Louis raised an eyebrow while maintaining his air.

 

“Nothing,” Liam repeated.

 

Niall leaned in, grinning. “It’s hard to intimidate someone you’re six inches shorter than, eh, Tommo?”

 

Louis wheeled around to glare at Niall. “Excuse you, _Neil_ , but Liam is _not_ ‘ _six inches taller’_ than me. I’ll have you know I’m not short at all, actually. I’m probably taller than Ladybug.”

 

A snort rang out behind them. The three turned around to see Harry covering his mouth.

 

“ _Et tu, Harold?_ ” Louis said, acting betrayed, but a pink flush was spreading through his cheeks.

 

The grin beneath Harry’s hand was obvious. “Sorry,” he said, voice somehow deeper and cuter than Louis remembered. Crazy how he did that.

 

Harry stepped into the group, finally revealing his dazzling grin from beneath his hand.

 

“You’re just not very tall,” he admitted.

 

Louis huffed, crossing his arms.

 

Harry laughed again. “You’re like some little kitten, honestly.”

 

Niall cackled. “Yeah, all tiny and cute!” he shrieked gleefully, as if it were the greatest insult known to mankind.

 

In all honesty, it felt like it to Louis.

 

“I am not _tiny and cute!_ ” he said indignantly. The pink on his cheeks rivalled the glow starting to form on Harry’s own, and Louis regretted looking over and seeing it on Harry’s face. It was just… too damn _adorable_ , and he could feel his own face getting hotter. Louis looked away before Harry could notice the sudden lack of control over his own capillaries.

 

“Let’s go,” Liam said to the four of them, bouncing away on the sidewalk, Niall in tow.

 

“Where are we going today?” Louis asked Harry.

 

Louis looked (up) at him, watching the slow sweep of his eyelashes and the rhythmic bounce of his curls before he realized that Harry had already begun to answer his question a long moment ago.

 

“I’m not sure,” he said, pulling his jacket closer to himself. “I think we’re just waiting for something to catch our fancy.”

 

“I’ve found something that’s caught mine,” Louis said unintentionally.

 

“What?” Harry asked. Apparently he had heard. And now Louis was expected to answer. Shit.

 

“Um,” Louis said, cheeks pinkening, “that,” he said suddenly, flinging his arm out at a shop a few doors down.

 

“ _Le Café des Chats?_ ” Harry asked, reading the sign. “A cat cafe?”

 

“Yes?” Louis said. If only he’d read the sign first.

 

Harry grinned. “I have a friend who’d fit in perfectly.”

 

Louis raised an eyebrow, knowing perfectly well who he meant. And he also knew Harry was wrong, actually. Chat Noir, as it were, would get wildly jealous if Harry were to pay too much attention to the other cats.

 

“So I take it you’re a cat person?” Harry asked.

 

Louis tamped down a grin at that. Too bad Harry wouldn’t understand the joke.

 

“I like dogs more, actually,” he said.

 

Harry grinned. “Really? Me too!”

 

Louis fought off domestic images of him and Harry owning a big fluffy dog together.

 

“So I guess you wouldn’t want to go there, then,” Louis replied, gesturing to the cat cafe as they passed it.

 

Harry grinned. “It would be cute,” he said. “Cats are good, too.”

 

Louis nodded. “They’re alright.”

 

Liam looked over his shoulder. “Do you guys want to go to that cat place?” he asked.

 

Louis looked at Harry. Harry looked back. They both looked at Liam again.

 

“Sure,” they both said.

 

Liam blinked. “Creepy,” he said tiredly, grabbing the back of Niall’s jacket before he wandered too far away.

 

As soon as they pushed the door open, they were assaulted by the sound of so many cats mewing. The four stepped bravely forward and up to the counter, ordering their food and drinks before stepping back to find a table to sit at.

 

A cat rubbed itself along Harry’s ankles as they walked over, and the happy surprise spelled across Harry’s face added ten years onto Louis’ life.

 

Louis grabbed his black tea and followed the rest of them to the table.

 

“Tea?” Niall said to him, mock-surprise written all over his face. “What a _shock_ ! Louis Tomlinson drinking _tea!_ ”

 

Louis smacked him with a stack of napkins.

 

“You’re an addict, mate,” Niall said seriously.

 

“Oh, fuck off,” Louis replied to Niall’s giggling.

 

“Do you take your tea with sugar?” Liam asked politely, offering a packet.

 

“Are you out of your fucking mind,” Louis said flatly at the same time as Harry replied, “He’s sweet enough already.”

 

Louis shut up and went red. He sat down and swiped a hand over his face, trying to wipe off the fond smile.

 

Niall and Liam exchanged knowing looks. Louis kicked Niall under the table.

 

At the sound of Niall’s ‘ow,’ three cats ran over and jumped up onto the table.

 

Louis grinned. “Hello,” he said, running his hand gently along one’s back.

 

The cat rubbed its head into Louis’ hand, stepping happily closer.

 

“Shit, Louis, they love you,” Liam said as another cat jumped up onto his lap. “It’s like they think you’re one of them.”

 

“Yeah,” Niall agreed with a shit-eating grin. “It’s just like you’re some sort of cat.”

 

The cat on Louis’ lap leaped off when he kicked Niall again.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“Hello again,” Chat Noir said to Harry as he climbed up onto their usual spot outside Harry’s open window.

 

“Hello, _Chaton_ ,” Harry replied in a low voice.

  

Chat Noir sat right up next to him, leaning onto Harry’s arm lightly.

 

Harry didn’t move.

 

“You’re quiet tonight,” the boy in black observed.

 

Harry shrugged. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately.”

 

“That’s never good,” Chat replied without missing a beat.

 

Harry laughed quietly.

 

“Thinking about what?” Chat pushed after a moment.

 

Harry shrugged, displacing the other boy from his spot on Harry’s shoulder.

 

“Oops,” he whispered. “Sorry. But about a lot of things.”

 

Chat’s silence urged Harry to explain.

 

“Really about one, mainly. A boy.” He ducked his head.

 

Chat reached over to pull lightly at his face while moving to sit cross-legged across from him.

 

“A boy?” he asked.

 

Harry nodded, wondering whether he should tell him. He tilted his head, considering. Chat probably didn’t know Louis, anyway. But Liam’s theory tickled the back of his mind again. If Chat Noir was Niall, he definitely did know Louis, and Harry confessing his feelings could be a big, important thing. But Niall was a good friend; he wouldn’t tell Louis. In all honesty, Harry was more afraid of what Niall knew about Louis -- if Louis didn’t like Harry the same way Harry loved him, Niall would let him down gently. And as kind as Niall was, there was nothing to ease the sting of being rejected by the one you love.

 

Harry took a deep breath.

 

“There’s a specific boy,” he said slowly, “who I happen to… be attached to. Romantically.”

 

Chat nodded, biting his lip.

 

“And I thought that he didn’t even know I existed, y’know?”

 

Chat opened his mouth to protest this, but Harry put a hand over it. He pretended not to notice that his hand covered an entire half of Chat’s face.

 

“And he’s, like, the _best_ boy,” Harry gushed. “He’s, like… all the stars live in his eyes. And the sun shines from his skin, and everything, the summertime, the butterflies, all of nature -- they’re _his_. He must have created them, because they’re the only things beautiful enough to even come close to him. He’s…”

 

Harry ran out of words.

 

Chat looked at him with big eyes, but Harry couldn’t tell what they were saying.

 

“Anyways, um,” Harry ducked his head, messing with a dangling curl. “I like him. And,” he cleared his throat. “Recently, he’s different? Not that he’s changed, he’s still as amazing as ever, he’s just acting… differently around me? I don’t know what’s going on, but he can’t hold the same conversations with me. And maybe it’s me who changed, because I’ve gotten past being all blushy and stuttery around him. Maybe he just thinks I’m a fucking idiot, because I could never speak around him.”

 

“That’s dumb,” Chat said. “He probably likes you back.”

 

Chat’s gloved hand twitched immediately after saying this, like he had suddenly regretted it.

 

Harry’s mind zipped right past this, though, and he sat straight up.

 

“You think so?” he asked, looking into the distance. The newfound light in his eyes rivalled those of the yellow streetlamps.

 

“Who wouldn’t?” Chat said, somewhat bitterly.

 

“Are you alright?” Harry asked, turning right back to Chat.

 

Chat shrugged. “I’m fine,” he said, somewhat gruffly. His masked face relaxed. “Actually, um, I have a boy as well.”

 

“Ladybug?” Harry asked. That’s who it always was, everyone knew.

 

To his surprise (and somewhat to his relief), Chat shook his head. “No, I’ve moved on. I know when something’s not about to happen.”

 

Harry nodded, relieved that Chat was no longer fixated on him.

 

“Well,” Chat reconsidered. “I mean, if Ladybug asked me out, I definitely wouldn’t say no.”

 

Harry nodded. Couldn’t win ‘em all, he supposed.

 

“But I am having a bit of an issue with my boy,” Chat said.

 

“I wish I could help,” Harry said. “You deserve the world.”

 

Chat blinked up at him, eyes wide and bright in his mask. That light dimmed quickly, however. “It seems that… my boy may not feel the same.”

 

Harry’s eyebrows drew in. “Really? But you’re so sweet! And funny, and, from what I can tell, anyway, you’re pretty cute under that suit of yours.”

 

Each compliment seemed to make Chat sadder. “Thank you, love. None of that stopped him from loving someone else, though.”

 

Later that night, after giving Chat a long, tight hug to make him feel better, Harry laid in his bed, trying to sleep, but trapped in a whirlpool of his own thoughts.

 

He wondered about Chat Noir’s secret identity. He kept thinking about the Niall theory. It was plausible; Niall was kind and funny and really chill all the time, and he had the right colored eyes. But… were they, actually? Niall’s seemed too bright, too energetic to match the cool grey-blue of Chat Noir’s clever eyes. And Harry couldn’t be sure, but he didn’t think Niall’s contained the right splash of green in the irises. He shifted under his blankets, watching the roof outside his window. _Who was the boy who visited him every week without fail?_ he wondered.

 

Harry had been doing a lot of wondering, lately.

 

He wondered if he was in love with Chat Noir. He still felt very much for Louis, obviously, but there was something alluring about the boy in the suit who always made time in his patrol for Harry. It seemed crazy, especially because he was half convinced _Niall_ was Chat Noir. And Niall was like a brother to him, so for it to turn out that it was _him_ all those love poems changed for…

 

Harry turned again, tossing the sheets about. The flat was completely silent but for the whirring of machinery and ever-present muffled buzz of the city, and the movement of the sheets, slight as it was, was amplified in the echoing dark.

 

Harry let his eyes sink closed, imagining the _swish_ of his sheets was simply the sound of a wind-blown sail, taking him out into the open ocean and away from all his troubles, and, in this way, finally fell asleep.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Parisian nights carried a sense of awakeness stronger than the days did. Perhaps it was the myriad of sounds, or the starkness of the lights in comparison to the black clouds in the sky, but Louis thought it was probably due to the exhilarating wind on his face as he leapt to the Eiffel tower.

 

Louis let out a laugh, glad to be free of societal bounds and joyful just because he was able to.

 

People pointed as one of the Protectors of Paris flew through the sky above. A few tourists took photos; Louis paused at the apex of the tall roof to wave happily for them before he continued back on his route.

 

The lights on the Eiffel Tower were bright and numerous enough to be seen for blocks around, and Louis increased his pace when he saw them. The crowd was thicker here for the famous structure, but still reasonably thin for 2 AM on a Thursday.

 

Louis made a final leap onto the metal itself, landing beautifully. He was a professional, after all. He straightened up and began to walk around the beams, leather tail swinging casually behind him. He looked around at the strung-up lights, ignoring the points and stares of people below him as he waited to see his partner.

 

“Hello, Chat,” a familiar voice greeted behind him. Louis spun around, grinning.

 

“Bug!”

 

Ladybug grinned at him and waited as Louis approached.

 

“So what’s on the table for tonight, lovebug?” Louis asked.

 

Ladybug rolled his eyes at the endearment. “We’re just patrolling,” he said easily, spinning around and beginning to walk the other direction with his arms thrown wide for the fun of it. “Nothing specific. Just hanging out, really.”

 

Louis grinned, only the space of a single step behind his partner. His eyes focused on the bouncing bun in front of him and his gloved hand hovered a few inches away from Ladybug’s waist.

 

“Well,” he said, “there’s nowhere to go but _up_ from here.”

 

As Ladybug spun around questioningly, Louis leaped up onto the next level of metal beams.

 

“Race you!” he called below.

 

Ladybug grinned, lowering himself in preparation for a jump.

 

“You’re on, _Chaton!_ ”

 

Louis laughed loudly as he scrambled up the crossed metal beams.

 

The heroes jumped and climbed their way up the structure until nothing was left above them but the glistening clouds.

 

“Looks like it might rain,” Ladybug remarked, staring up at the dark sky from his spot next to Louis.

 

Louis, for his part, looked down at their dangling feet and the distant lights below. The ones in buildings shimmered and shined, but not nearly as much as their reflective counterparts in the river Seine.

 

“I know a bad joke about rain,” Ladybug said suddenly.

 

Louis perked up, twisting to look at him. Ladybug’s neck was still stretched as he stared up at the dim reflections of the city’s lights.

 

“Wanna hear it?”

 

Louis grinned widely. “Of course!”

 

“Okay,” Ladybug lowered his gaze to his partner. He leveled him with a serious gaze. “What do you call dangerous precipitation?”

 

Louis cocked his head, raising a hand to his chin to mime thinking about the answer. “What?”

 

A grin split Ladybug’s face under the mask. “A rain of terror.”

 

Louis laughed so loudly, he felt that the citizens below should think it was thunder. “That’s so bad!”

 

Ladybug laughed as well, clutching his stomach. “No, it isn’t!” he insisted. “It’s historically relevant!”

 

Louis doubled over. “You are _such_ a nerd! Oh my _god!_ ”

 

Ladybug grinned at him. “It’s not nerdy! It’s a big part of the French Revolution! And we’re literally sitting on top of the most French thing imaginable-”

 

Louis laughed harder. “I can’t believe you.”

 

Ladybug’s grin seemed wider, if that was possible. Louis poked a finger into his dimple, and Ladybug grabbed his wrist, trapping his hand there, on Ladybug’s cheek. Louis’ pulse quickened. He hoped Ladybug couldn’t feel it in his wrist.

 

The moment grew heavy as their laughter subsided. Louis was left staring into Ladybug’s darkened green eyes. Time seemed to slow, each second stretching into eternity.

 

“Who are you, under the mask?” Ladybug whispered.

 

Louis’ mouth opened and shut with no answer.

 

He responded after another moment, “You said never to tell.”

 

Ladybug bit his lip and released Louis’ hand. “I guess I did.”

 

He turned to face the city again before standing up.

 

“Wanna do some acrobatics?”

 

Louis shrugged, relieved to let the moment roll off of them. “Sounds fun.”

 

They leapt down the tower together, laughing as they went.

 

“Hey, Bug!” Louis called. “Check _meow_ ’t!” And he jumped into a backflip, swinging off of the nearest beams before landing in perfect gymnastics form with his arms up. His form was soon broken, however, by the giggles which racked his chest.

 

“Impressive,” Ladybug said with mirth dancing in his eyes. “But I can top it.”

 

He jumped off the edge of the beam, giving Louis a minor heart attack, but it was soon clear that he was just showing off his own flips and spins.

 

Louis laughed and waited for his dramatic finale before applauding. Ladybug took a bow, for showmanship. Louis jumped down, right onto him, yelling wordlessly.

 

Ladybug caught him in his arms with only a small _oof_ punched out of his chest. Louis laughed, wrapping his arms around Ladybug’s neck. His chest was broad for someone so cute, and warm.

 

“I think _Eiffel_ for you,” he said with a silly waggle of his eyebrows.

 

Ladybug laughed back. “You’re quite a _cat_ -ch.”

 

Louis was so shocked by the flirting back that he jolted and fell out of Ladybug’s arms and down a few meters.

 

“Shit!” Ladybug called, lunging for him and catching him by the tail. “Oops,” he called. “Dropped you.”

 

Louis climbed his way back up, setting on the same beam with his elbows in a short moment. His face ended up very close to his bent-over partner’s.

 

“Hi,” he replied before pulling himself the rest of the way up. Belatedly, Ladybug tried to help.

 

Awkward silence reigned for a moment.

 

“What next?” Ladybug asked at the same time Louis said, “Want to play hide and seek again?”

 

“No!” Ladybug cried indignantly, but with an intact grin. “You always cheat!”

 

“Checking social media tags isn’t cheating!” Louis said, throwing an offended hand over his chest and still wearing a grin, despite his best efforts. “And besides, you do it too!”

 

“What an accusation!” Ladybug exclaimed, mirroring Louis’ pose with his own hand over his heart. “I would _never_ belittle the Bug name like that!”

 

Louis broke and started laughing uncontrollably. “Fine, fine, alright. No hide-and-go-seek.”

 

Ladybug grinned. “What, then?”  
  
Louis considered for a moment. “Wanna go ride the subway for the shock value? Freak some people out?”

 

Ladybug grinned. “Sounds fun.”

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry, as Ladybug, took the subway home after he and Chat went their separate ways. Most of the way home, really. He transformed part of the way through to keep his secret identity intact. It had to stay secret, after all.

 

Harry unlocked his apartment door as quietly as he could and opened it even quieter. He stepped in without a sound and was careful closing it so as to not wake Liam up.

 

As it turned out, this was unnecessary. He jumped when their single lamp turned on with a _click_ behind him. Harry spun around with his fists up, ready to take on whoever it was.

 

“Liam!” he burst out upon realizing it wasn’t an intruder.

 

“Harry,” Liam said cooly. “Got any explanation for leaving in the middle of the night and coming home at 4:30 in the morning?”

 

Harry scoffed to cover his unsettledness. “Who are you, my mum?”

 

Liam raised an eyebrow. “I think the real question is, who are _you?_ ”

 

“Um,” Harry looked around, genuinely confused. “I’m Harry?”

 

Liam sighed. “Yeah, obviously, Harry. But, like- you know what, moment’s over. I know you’re Ladybug.”

 

Harry gaped, truly thrown for a curve. “Um- I, erm… uh…”

 

Liam stood up and crossed his arms. “When were you gonna tell me?”

 

Harry swallowed. “I’m not Ladybug,” he said, already far past the point of ‘too late.’

 

Liam looked at him flatly. He pulled a hand out and began to tick fingers off. “You always disappear just before Ladybug shows up, you _just so happen_ to have the same hair and build, you know Chat Noir, you’re always disappearing and showing up late to things, and you’ve never been akumatized. I’m not dumb. _Oh_ , and also there was that one time I caught you climbing out the window just moments before Ladybug showed up at a fight.”

 

Harry knew that he was pretty cornered here. “Uh…”

 

“What other reason could you possibly have for that?”

 

“I… I was going to a pottery class,” Harry said. He knew how it sounded.

 

“At night?” Liam asked, not buying it.

 

“Night pottery?” Harry offered weakly. “We take inspiration from the stars.”

 

“There aren’t any _stars_ , we live in the city.”

 

“The ones in the city. The lights.”

 

“That’s literally the worst excuse I’ve ever heard.”

 

Harry deflated, sitting down on the couch. “I know.”

 

Liam sat down next to him. “I’m not upset or anything, you know. I mean, I’m kind of bummed that it took me this long to figure out, but it’s _so sick_ to know that I’m _best friends with Ladybug_.”

 

Harry looked up at him. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I get it,” Liam said. “Secret identity and all that. Bruce Wayne didn’t tell anyone, either.”

 

“Bruce Wayne has no friends.”

 

Liam shrugged. “That’s true.”

 

They sat in comfortable silence for a minute. Harry, inexplicably, felt lighter than he had in ages. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted Liam to know until Liam did. The room seemed cast in a whole new light now, and it wasn’t just the loneliness of the lamp.

 

“And now you can help me figure out who Chat Noir is,” Liam said happily. Everything seemed to be falling into place. “And tell me how your powers work, and give me _Ladyblog_ exclusives-”

 

“Exclusives?” Harry said. “No, no, I don’t want to change my enigmatic status.”

 

Liam grinned evilly. “As if I’m not going to guilt you into it when you don’t do your dishes.”

 

Harry hit him with a couch pillow in retaliation.

 

Liam grunted as it hit him, but popped right back up, grinning and grabbing his own pillow.

 

“Oh, it’s _on_ , Ladybug.”

 

Harry laughed freely, smacking his flatmate once again. Liam hit him back this time, and soon enough the two were rolling on the floor, alternating hitting each other and laughing too hard to move.

 

“I wouldn’t have expected the _‘Hero of Paris’_ to be so easy to beat,” Liam cackled gleefully from his position sitting on top of Harry.

 

Before Harry got a a chance to answer, his face was being beaten into submission by a scratchy pillow.

 

“Okay, okay!” Harry called, laughing. “I give up!”

 

Liam finally laid off of him, falling back onto the floor next to him.

 

“The neighbors are _not_ going to be pleased with our level of activity tonight,” he said.

 

“Sounds like we fucked when you say it like that,” Harry remarked.

 

 _“Harry!”_ Liam cried.

 

Harry cackled in response. The two of them lay there until their laughter subsided and their breathing evened out. Soon enough, quiet breaths turned to yawns, and the two friends fell asleep right there on the carpeted floor.

 

The next morning, Harry was awakened by a clanging sound. Liam had decided to make breakfast.

 

Harry sat up, rubbing his head. He checked his phone: 9:23. Harry groaned and flopped back to the floor.

 

“It’s too _early_ to be awake,” he groaned, voice gravelly and deep.

 

Liam looked up. “It’s nearly half-past nine.”

 

“Too early,” Harry repeated.

 

Liam’s bustling about in the kitchen did not stop. Harry dropped a pillow over his head.

 

“Hey,” Liam said, “now that I know you’re Ladybug and there are no secrets between us, will you tell me who Chat Noir is?”

 

“I don’t know,” Harry said, muffled through the pillow.

 

“‘Don’t know’ like you don’t know who he is or ‘don’t know’ like you don’t know if you’ll tell me or not?” Liam asked.

 

“First one,” said Harry from under his pillow.

 

“Alright,” Liam said, sounding a little disappointed. He perked up again in a moment. “You know him best; got any theories?”

 

Harry groaned at the one he did have.

 

“What?” asked Liam.

 

Harry sat up again, the pillow dropping off of his face to sit on his lap.

 

“I don’t like the theory I have.”

 

“Is it that Niall one you were telling me about?” Liam asked, looking over at Harry as he cooked - what was that?

 

Harry nodded. “What’re you making,” he asked monotonously, changing the subject.

 

“Why don’t you like that theory?” Liam asked again, ignoring Harry.

 

“Because I don’t want to have a crush on Niall,” Harry said.

 

Liam paused. “You have a crush on Chat Noir? What about Louis?”

 

Harry groaned. “I don’t even know what happening. I still love Louis, obviously, because he’s amazing and beautiful and perfect, but there’s just… _something_ about Chat.”

 

Liam nodded slowly. “Alright. Well, I guess there’s only one thing for us to do.”

 

“What?”

 

“Find out who Chat Noir really is.”

 

“Wasn’t that already your goal?”

 

Liam shrugged. “Yeah, but now you’re gonna help me.”

 

“You don’t exactly have a great track record with that, do you?”

 

“I figured you out, didn’t I?”

**~ ~ ~**

 

“Who are you texting?” Louis asked Niall suspiciously. It was odd of Niall to stop playing FIFA for this or anything else, but every time his phone buzzed, he practically threw his controller and dove for the device.

 

“Liam,” Niall said casually, sprawled out across the coffee table with his arm hanging off and his feet still on the couch cushions.

 

Louis narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on?” he asked suspiciously, moving around to try to get a good look at the screen.

 

“Nothing,” Niall said, sending his text and turning off the phone before moving back to his cross-legged position on the couch, picking up the controller like nothing strange had happened.

 

Louis side-eyed him, but returned to the game. “Alright…”

 

Niall’s phone buzzed again, and both of them leaped at it. Louis emerged triumphant, holding the phone up with a yell before sprinting off, Niall chasing close behind.

 

“No!” Niall yelled.

 

Louis laughed at him, trying to read the pixels as he ran with little success.

 

“Lady-” he muttered. “This says Ladybug!” he yelled behind him.

 

“Give me my phone back!” Niall called, finally slamming into Louis from behind. He grabbed the phone quickly and shoved it in his pants.

 

“Fuck,” he said, breathing heavier than normal. “You’re fast.”

 

“What were you texting about?” Louis asked suspiciously.

 

“I told you,” Niall said, chill as ever, “nothing.”

 

Louis glared at him.

 

“Fine,” Niall said, “but I’m only telling you because I want to see you to suffer. We were talking about Harry.”

 

Louis jumped at him. “What do you know?”

 

Niall grinned. “So much.”

 

“If you think I’m above grabbing that phone right out of your crotch, Niall, I swear-”

 

Automated, tinny yelling from the television cut him off. Both of them turned to look at it. Their game had ended without them and Louis had managed to snag a decisive victory.

 

“ _Ha_ ,” he gloated.

 

Niall rolled his eyes and flopped back onto the couch.

 

Louis laughed at him, deciding to rub his win in Niall’s face with a victory dance.

 

“You’re such a fucking dork,” Niall said. “I can’t believe nobody else has figured out your secret identity yet.”

 

“Hey,” Louis defended, “I’m not a dork! Not as Louis or Chat!”

 

Niall rolled his eyes. “Even Ladybug probably thinks Chat is a dork.”

 

Louis scoffed, trying to hide his offense.

 

Niall laughed, throwing his head back on the couch. “We sound like a bunch of middle schoolers.”

 

Louis shrugged. “At least we’re avoiding any communication issues.”

 

Niall started laughing at this for some reason.

 

Louis swatched him, puzzled, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it to question.

 

“Hey, speaking of Ladybug,” Niall said suddenly, “how’s that romance going?”

 

Louis shrugged, curling in on himself. “It sure is going.”

 

Niall raised an eyebrow.

 

“I honestly don’t know,” Louis elaborated. “I mean, I don’t know if I love him anymore. I think… I think my emotions undermined me and swapped targets without my permission.”

 

Niall blinked. “To whom?”

 

Louis gave him a flat look. “Harry, you dolt.”

 

Niall blinked again. “Right… From Ladybug… to Harry. Changed to someone else.”

 

Louis raised an eyebrow at him. “...Yeah. Why are you acting so weird?”

 

Niall shook his head. “It’s nothing, really.”

 

Louis let this one slide, spreading himself across Niall’s small couch and dropping his head in Niall’s lap. He refused to think about what it meant for his height that he could do this comfortably.

 

“Isn’t it so dumb? I can’t believe I’ve fallen for Harry fucking Styles.”

 

“What’s wrong with that?” Niall asked.

 

“Nothing, obviously. He’s incredible. I just mean- he always hated me, you know? Refused to talk to me, and always disappeared when I’d walk over.”

 

Niall choked back a laugh. “He never hated you. Maybe he should’ve, but he didn’t.”

 

Louis shoved Niall’s chest. “Dick. But you’re wrong, he wouldn’t even speak to me. And now I’m-” Louis sighed. “Irrevocably, undeniably in love with him. It’s ridiculous.”

 

Niall shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s ridiculous. It seems-” he stopped himself.

 

Louis sat up and looked at him. “Seems what?”

 

“Destined?” Niall said slowly, as if it wasn’t something he was supposed to say. “Inevitable?”

 

Louis tilted his head, feeling his heart fill with syrupy love for his best friend as well as warm hope for the future.

 

“I sure hope so,” he whispered.

 

Niall looked at him earnestly. “I promise you it’s going to work out.”

 

Louis suddenly remembered Harry wistfully describing his boy, and the warmth left him like a blown-out flame. The sappy smile, ironically, melted off of his face.

 

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Ni,” he said quietly. The light streaming in from the windows seemed dimmer than it had mere minutes ago.

 

Niall leaned forward, concern etched into his face. “Why not?”

 

Louis sighed. “He’s in love with someone,” he laughed bitterly. The sound ripped itself out of his throat; Louis wanted to do anything but laugh. “Some other boy.”

 

“What? How do you know?” Niall asked, looking confused and upset, but the emotion on his face was only an echo compared to what Louis was feeling.

 

“He told me,” Louis said. “Told Chat Noir, anyways.” He stopped before explaining why Chat Noir was talking to Harry. Those nights were private, for the two of them alone. No one else knew Harry in those hours, and Louis selfishly enjoyed that.

 

Niall hummed. His mouth formed a small ‘o’ as enlightenment flashed in his eyes. Niall seemed like he wanted to say something, but refused to let himself.

 

“I- I have to- give me one sec,” Niall finally said, standing up. Louis tracked the movement, confused and, admittedly, disappointed.

 

Niall ran out of the room, grabbing his phone from his pants as he went, leaving Louis alone and bewildered on the couch.

 

“What the fuck?” Louis whispered to himself. He blinked at the now-empty doorway.

 

Louis let out a sigh and flopped down to the couch, closing his eyes. _Fuck_ , was he tired.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry was _exhausted_. His sleeping pattern -- or lack thereof -- was starting to get to him. Between classes, saving the city, patrolling, and talking to Chat Noir, he hardly slept four hours most nights.

 

And it was probably this exhaustion that caused him to slip up the next time he had one of his little chats with Chat.

 

“I’m sorry I talk so much about him,” Harry was saying. “He’s just… he’s always with me, you know, in my mind. Or my heart, or some shit. I don’t know.”

 

Chat nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

 

“Sorry, I must be boring you. You don’t even know who he is.”

 

Chat shrugged noncommittally.

 

“Well,” Harry reconsidered with a yawn, deciding to throw caution into the wind. “Maybe you do.”

 

This made Chat sit up and look more awake. “What? Why would I know him?”

 

Harry shrugged, tracing circles on Chat’s small palm with his fingers.

 

“You’ve probably seen him. He’s remarkably pretty, so they put him in advertisements.”

 

Chat’s fingers twitched, so Harry stopped his circles and lifted his face to stare at Chat.

 

“Some people say he’s only got the job because of his father, but I don’t think so. I think it’s just because he’s so stunning. Honestly, the most beautiful person to have ever graced the earth. I’d… I’d give anything to know if his skin is as soft as it looks,” Harry said earnestly. His little rant was beginning to veer toward the x-rated. “And he’s always got a little bit of stubble, you know, model scruff or whatever. God- I bet it’d feel so good between my… just… I’d _die_ if he…” Harry sighed, the sound deep and mixed with a groan. “I'd let him mark me up so bad- color my neck, my _tattoos_ \- ,” he gestured to the tattoos on his collarbones. “And he’s got this big, round _, perfect-_ ”

 

“Alright!” Chat said, sounding slightly strangled. “That’s probably enough. Do you want some water for all that thirst?”

 

Harry blushed, not that it was obvious in the dark as they were.

 

“Sorry,” he said again. “I’m saying that a lot tonight.”

 

Chat shrugged. “You don’t need to apologize half as much as you do.”

 

Harry smiled, leaning onto the superhero’s shoulder, the shiny black nearly invisible in the dark. “You’re sweet.”

 

He felt Chat’s smile rather than saw it.

 

“And I like making you smile.”

 

Sleep deprivation was pulling some truths out of him that he’d prefer to keep hidden.

 

Chat buried his face in Harry’s loose curls. “I can’t say I mind it much, either.”

 

“I wish I knew your name.” Harry’s voice came as whisper, hardly audible above the wind and the city.

 

“You know I can’t tell you. I don’t even tell Ladybug.”

 

“You sure don’t,” Harry agreed.

 

“What?” Chat’s smile was obvious in his voice, though Harry still wasn’t at an angle to see it. “You get so silly when you’re tired.”

 

“I’m always tired.”

 

“You are.”

 

“Are you saying I’m always silly?”

 

Chat shrugged. “I won’t say you aren’t.”

 

“That’s rude, _Chaton_ , you should know that by now. Just because you’re a stray cat doesn’t mean you don’t have to have manners.”

 

Chat laughed. It reminded Harry of another sound. He flicked Chat’s bell, watching it shine and hearing it ring.

 

“That’s what it sounds like,” he said quietly.

 

“What, baby?”

 

The pet name slipped out so casually that Harry didn’t even notice it, so wrapped up in thoughts of Louis as he was.

 

“His laugh.”

 

“You’re really… really gone for this boy, aren’t you?”

 

Harry nodded, sitting up and moving to sit face to face with Chat.

 

“I can’t even begin to explain to you how I feel about him.”

 

Chat’s face showed no reaction, which would have been a tell itself if Harry had been awake enough, but the night and the company made him too sleepy and warm for vigilance.

 

He laid down on the roof behind him, staring at the stars, legs still curled and crossed together. “He’s every color, all at once, and his laugh sounds like your bell. He’s it for me, I think.”

 

“It?” Chat asked, ears drooping in the low light.

 

Harry nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve always believed in soulmates, you know. Not, like, traditional soulmates, but more like a pair… so special and _fated_ that, in every universe and parallel universe and every fractal of life, they’re together. They’re always drawn to each other; there isn’t an iteration of themselves that isn’t. And I think that’s what Louis Tomlinson is for me.”

 

“Louis-” Chat choked out the name, eyes going wide as he lost his balance and nearly fell off the ledge of Harry’s small square of roof.

 

“Shit!” Harry called out, grabbing his arm and trying to help Chat steady himself. “Are you alright?”

 

“I honestly can’t answer that,” Chat responded.

 

Harry smiled widely at him. “I’m glad you didn’t fall, but I’ll admit I was curious to see if the cat would land on his feet.”

 

Chat blinked, still in shock. Probably from his near-fall. “I’m glad to say we may never find out.”

 

“What happened there?”

 

“Um, I think I must’ve just lost my balance,” Chat said, squirming. He recovered quickly, smoothly raising an eyebrow. “I’m sure you know all about that, Bambi.”

 

Harry laughed, but his joy was nothing compared to the absolute beacon sitting across from him. He didn’t know what had changed, but he was glad to be sitting here as if in the beam of a lighthouse bringing ships to shore.

 

“I have to go,” Chat said suddenly, a strange quality providing wonder and wispiness in his voice. He stood up, Harry mirroring his position bewilderedly.

 

“Why? What’s going on? Is everything alright?”

 

“Oh, everything’s definitely alright,” Chat said, ignoring the first two questions. “Everything is _more_ than alright.”

 

He bolted forward and gave Harry a tight hug, smashing his grin into Harry’s chest. Harry’s confused arms slowly reached up to hug him back.

 

“Okay?” Harry said, unsure of what was happening.

 

“I’ll see you soon, alright?” Chat asked, grinning wider than Harry had ever seen.

 

“Sure,” he said slowly, and the hero bounded away into the night.

 

Harry was left standing alone and agape on the roof. Goosebumps raced down his arms and his spine.

 

He climbed back into his room through the window and stood in front of the glass for a while, running the scene through his head a few times. Finally, Harry closed the curtains and went to sleep.

 

He woke up late the next morning, well-rested for once in his life. Harry rolled over, yawning, and picked up his phone. _12:30_. Nice. He set it down and pulled the covers up above his shoulders, settling in for a few more minutes.

 

Wait. Harry bolted up. He had class in fifteen minutes and he wasn’t even wearing clothes! Harry cursed as he ran around his room, dragging on a t-shirt and jeans and hopping around to get his shoes on quickly. He brushed his teeth in record time and sprinted out the door, barely remembering to grab his keys on his way.

 

He ran a hand through his tangled curls as he hurried down the busy sidewalks. It was, as expected, a mess. Oh, well. No time now. He ran across a street, waving at a car that honked in annoyance at him, but Harry had a class in - he checked his phone - two minutes. He groaned, looking for a faster way to arrive.

 

Harry spotted a park and made a beeline for it, changing direction mid-step. He checked his phone as he ran through the gate. Still two minutes. He might make it on time, the building was just a block away-

 

“Harry!” a voice called behind him as he ran.

 

He glanced back, excuse ready.

 

“Harry!” the voice called again.

 

Harry stopped in his tracks. He felt his face mirroring Louis’ wide grin as he approached Harry. Suddenly, the sunlight in the park seemed brighter and warmer than it had before. Plants seemed to straighten up and drink in more sunlight with vibrant color, and it was all due to that sunshine smile.

 

“I can’t talk, I have to get to class,” Harry was saying, but his legs disagreed, turning him to fully face Louis.

 

Without another word, Louis ran up to him and cupped Harry’s jaw in his hands.

 

His sparkling blue eyes drew close and fluttered shut, showcasing those beautiful long eyelashes and Harry couldn’t help his own eyes from closing as the warmth of Louis’ face drew close and-

 

Their lips locked, finally, after ages of Harry staring and dreaming. Fireworks seemed to pop off inside of Harry’s skull and Louis’s lips were the softest thing Harry had ever felt and they tasted like fresh strawberries. His hands were warm on Harry’s face and suddenly Harry realized his own were motionless at his sides and he reached for Louis’ waist, pulling him closer, and angled his mouth to slot their lips together perfectly. The kiss felt familiar from all the times Harry had imagined it.

 

Louis drew back minutely, but Harry pushed forward, not willing to give up this new magic for even a second. They’d only kissed once, but Harry was already addicted.

 

Something felt whole and golden in his chest -- probably his heart, which was now light enough to float away, taking Harry and Louis with it, locked in their embrace.

 

They finally broke apart, but their hands remained in place, keeping each other close.

 

“I guess class can wait,” Harry breathed, a smile breaking across his face.

 

Louis popped up on his tip-toes and kissed Harry’s dimple, making him giggle -- actually, genuinely giggle, like the protagonist in a YA novel. He hadn’t realized people actually did that.

 

Harry couldn’t help it, he leaned in for another sweet kiss, pining for the taste of strawberries and something else that was wholly _Louis_. But as he kissed him again, wrapping his arms around Louis’ back and feeling Louis’ wrapped around his neck, Harry couldn’t stop a smile from forming, and it seemed Louis couldn’t, either. The kiss turned messy and really into more of a bumping of teeth than anything else, but Harry wouldn't trade the moment for the world.

 

“You,” Harry breathed.

 

Louis nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. “You,” he agreed, unwinding his arms and stepping slightly back to give them room to breathe.

 

Harry felt Louis’ hands linger on his chest and he reached up to grab them, keeping eye contact.

 

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted to do that,” Louis said.

 

“I know,” Harry said, blushing.

 

Louis smiled at him. Harry smiled back. Louis reached up to pull a few stray curls out of the way. Harry’s eyes fluttered shut, and he opened them to see Louis’ dark eyes in a face full of awe.

 

“Do you… do you want to go and grab some food?” Harry asked Louis, not wanting the moment to end. Preferably for the rest of his life.

 

“I’d love that,” Louis said, nearly blinding Harry with his smile.

 

Harry blushed, tracing a finger across Louis’ tattoos simply because he could. The realization that he was now free to do so renewed his already bright smile.

 

They held hands as they walked out of the park with no rush.

 

“Look,” Louis said, pleasantly surprised, “our tattoos line up!”

 

Harry looked down and lifted up their intertwined hands. His grin grew as he saw the swirling ink on their wrists. Louis was right. The rope encircling his delicate wrist lined up perfectly with Harry’s solid anchor. He dropped a delicate kiss to the center of Louis’ infinity rope and caught a glimpse of the delicate pink crowning the boy’s cheeks.

 

Harry felt more powerful than he ever had before, even as Ladybug, as he strolled along, connected by the hand to the world’s most beautiful boy, inside and out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to quote ella, betaing this: "HOLY SHIT"
> 
> also did u catch that Louis tasted like strawberries, which just-so-happens to be the chapstick flavor Chat Noir stole from Harry's room


	3. An Ending, of Sorts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a happy ending, but really the beginning of a different story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see now this is all fluff, this is where i live. get ready to get sappy

Louis pulled on the collar of Harry’s denim jacket -- really _his_ denim jacket, but Harry had gotten chilly and Louis would die to see his boy in any of his clothes. A happy shiver ran down his spine at the phrase. _His boy._ Louis licked his lips, leaning up on his tiptoes.

 

“You look great in that,” he whispered into Harry’s ear, relishing in the shiver he felt in Harry’s skin.

 

It was true: Harry looked drop-dead gorgeous. The denim was smooth against his broad chest, much tighter than it had ever been on Louis. He ran his hand down the front of it.

 

“Thanks,” Harry said, voice deep and alluring. “But you should really try to keep it in your pants, Lou, we’re in the grocery store.”

 

Louis rolled his eyes, stepping back and dropping his hand back to its spot on Harry’s waist. “Alright, Styles, if that’s what you want.”

 

Harry leaned in close. His curls tickled the bare skin at the base of Louis’ neck.

 

“You know I’d rather drop everything and fuck you right here, Louis, but there are laws against that kind of thing.” He stepped back, casually as ever, and began to peruse the shelves.

 

“ _Jesus,_ ” Louis breathed.

 

“No,” Harry said, picking up a jar with the wide grin which always foretold one of his terrible dad jokes. “It’s pronounced ‘ginger.’”

 

Louis smacked his arm. “You’re a fucking dork, you know that?”

 

Harry laughed. “Just for that, I’m going to leave you.”

 

Louis grinned, grabbing his hand. “See if I care. There are plenty of boys looking to date the cover model for Tomlinson brand clothing. They’re practically lining up for me as we speak.”

 

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked around dramatically. “I don’t see anyone.”

 

Louis grinned, pulling Harry’s face down by the collar of his jacket. “There’s only one I want to date, anyway,” he whispered before placing a short kiss onto Harry’s plush lips.

 

They separated, and Louis couldn’t force his gaze away from Harry’s red lips. Right now, they were stretched into a dopey grin, and Louis knew already that if he looked up, Harry’s green eyes would be full of soft light.

 

“We’re gonna be so sappy all the time, aren’t we?” Louis asked.

 

“The sappiest,” Harry agreed happily, turning back to the shelves of food.

 

“I can live with it,” Louis said. “As long as I’m with you.”

 

They walked a little farther down the aisle, Harry picking out ingredients and Louis watching him. Harry bent down to grab something on the bottom shelf and Louis draped himself across Harry’s back.

 

“What’re you looking for?” he asked.

 

“Spices,” Harry replied.

 

“ _Obviously_ ,” Louis laughed. “But what are you gonna make for us?”

 

“Actually,” Harry said, “I was hoping _you_ would want to make it.”

 

Louis stepped off of him so Harry could turn around.

 

“You know what an awful cook I am,” he said.

 

Harry shrugged “I’d help you, obviously.”

 

“Do you _want_ your kitchen to burn down?”

 

Harry laughed. “I don’t care what happens, as long as I get to see you do it.”

 

Louis booped him on the nose. “You’re too sweet to me.”

 

Harry smiled. “We shouldn’t have a problem with dessert, then.”

 

Louis grinned. “I’d love to make you dinner, Harry Styles.”

 

Harry’s dimples popped out and Louis didn’t stop himself from poking them.

 

“I know it’s only been three days,” Louis said, butterflies in his stomach as he did, “but I hope you never leave me.”

 

Harry kissed him. “I won’t,” he promised.

 

Later, when they were dropping their paper bags onto Harry’s kitchen counter, Harry wrapped his arms around Louis.

 

“Hey,” he said.

 

“Hey,” Louis said, twisting his neck to drop a kiss onto Harry’s cheek.

 

“I meant what I said earlier, you know,” Harry said in a low, serious voice.

 

“That strawberries aren’t actually berries? Because, you know, I still refuse to even acknowledge that trash opinion-”

 

“Scientific fact. But, no, I meant when I said I’d never leave you.”

 

Louis blinked. “I didn’t think you weren’t serious.”

 

Harry nodded. “I know you didn’t. I just… I want you to know how serious I am. About you.”

 

Louis nodded, finally turning around to face Harry. “Of course.” He nodded seriously. “And I want you to know that I feel the same. I do a lot of impulsive things, Harry, but kissing you wasn’t one of them.”

 

Harry leaned in to kiss him again, and Louis happily complied. He sighed into Harry’s mouth and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck to gently grasp his long curls. Their lips slotted so perfectly together; kissing Harry was like finding a missing piece of himself that fit so perfectly on his jagged edges and, for the first time he could remember in his life, made Louis feel at home.

 

“Harry, mate, sorry, I forgot my- _oh!_ ” Liam burst through the door and Harry jumped back. Louis’ hands, however, were still tangled up in his hair, and his arms were jerked comically away, causing Harry to trip and fall right back onto Louis.

 

“What’s going on here?” Liam asked amusedly as the other two untangled themselves.

 

“We’re making dinner,” Harry said and Louis nodded energetically, as if it would make Liam forget what he’d just seen.

 

“When did this happen?” Liam asked, gesturing between the two of them. “Last I checked, Harry was still crying on the couch about how pretty _your_ lips are,” he gestured to Louis as Harry blushed and began to stutter, “and you were whining to Niall about _his_ -” He gestured to Harry. “What was the quote? _‘Indescribable curls?’_ ” Now it was Louis’ turn to blush and stutter out a denial. “How could curls even be indescribable?” Liam continued. “They’re fucking curly, what more can you say?”

 

Louis glanced at Harry and watched the boy’s blush deepen. A fond smile spread across Louis’ face as he stared, expression soft.

 

“Aw, babe, you had a crush on me,” he teased, poking Harry’s chest lightly.

 

“We’re dating,” Harry responded.

 

“Still,” Louis cooed.

 

“This is disgusting,” Liam said. “I should’ve forgotten about my jacket. I’d rather die of hypothermia than watch another minute of you two.”

 

Harry laughed, bumping his hip into Louis’ with a fond look on his face.

 

“ _God,_ and this is only few days in! You two are gonna be terrible for the rest of your lives, aren’t you?”

 

“Yep,” Harry said happily, throwing his arm around Louis. Louis giggled, happy that he wasn’t the only one hoping for eternity.

 

“Always,” Louis responded.

 

“Don’t you have a jacket to grab?” Harry asked, reaching around Louis to pull some vegetables out of one of the grocery bags.

 

“Right, yeah,” Liam said, walking off to his room.

 

“What happened to hypothermia?” Louis asked as he walked back in.

 

“Well, I’m already here,” Liam said, “and Sophia’s waiting.”

 

“ _Ooh, Sophia,_ ” Harry sang.

 

“Nice, Liam! Get some!” Louis called as Liam shook his head and walked out the door.

 

“Don’t you dare come back here tonight!” Harry yelled as the door slammed.

 

Harry and Louis stood quiet together for a moment, still looking at the door.

 

“He’s happy for us,” Louis concluded.

 

The next morning, the two woke up so entwined it was hard for Louis to tell where he began and where Harry ended. It was everything he’d been dreaming of, complete with the angelic sleeping face tucked into Louis’ shoulder, soft and messy hair tickling his chin, and Harry’s perfect collarbones littered with small marks, but it was also stiflingly hot.

 

“It’s too warm,” Louis groaned, pulling his arms off of Harry and moving away.

 

“Hey,” Harry muttered, still half-asleep and tightening his arms around Louis’ waist, “come back.”

 

“This isn’t even comfortable,” Louis complained. His complaints were somewhat dispassionate, however, and tinged with fondness. “How can you stay like this?” He spread his arms out on the bed above Harry’s head and twisted his torso to feel the cool air.

 

“My arm’s asleep,” Harry said with still-closed eyes. He shuffled closer to Louis, curving his body around his hip.

 

Louis settled down and lowered a bit into the embrace, watching the top of Harry’s head.

 

“I like it,” Harry continued. His voice was getting fainter and slower as he fell back asleep. “It’s, like… it’s important.”

 

“You’re so weird,” Louis whispered. He settled back into their original embrace and wrapped his own arms around Harry, cushioning his head on the inside of his arm.

 

“You’re back,” Harry cheered quietly, muffled in the soft, tan skin of Louis’ ribcage. His eyelashes tickled when they fluttered as he slowly woke up. “I knew you couldn’t keep your hands off of me.”

 

Louis smiled where he knew Harry couldn’t see. “You’re insufferable. I’m going back to sleep.”

 

“It’s my animal magnetism,” Harry said, smiling into Louis’ skin.

 

“You’ve got it wrong, I’m trying to smother you for some blessed silence,” Louis retorted quietly.

 

Harry was already asleep.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

All morning long, Harry had felt like he was forgetting something.

 

He kissed Louis good morning, which had led to some amazing good-morning activities, and kissed him goodbye as Louis left in the same clothes he’d been wearing last night, and said good morning to Liam as he walked in in the same clothes _he’d_ been wearing last night, and cleaned up the dirty dishes in the sink from last night’s dinner, which had been cut short by some, erm, _mind-blowing good-night activities._

 

“Shit,” he said suddenly, perking up on the couch where he was currently watching Netflix with Liam on Liam’s laptop.

 

“What?”

 

“I just, um, I remembered something,” Harry said, troubled.

 

“Okay,” Liam said, turning back to the show. Could it be considered turning back if his eyes had never left the screen?

 

“I’m gonna go to my room,” Harry said, not even waiting for Liam’s cursory nod before walking quickly over and closing the door.

 

“Tikki,” Harry said, causing the ladybug kwami to fly out from under his bed. “I forgot about Chat Noir last night.”

 

“You also forgot about me,” the little thing said, crossing its tiny arms.

 

“Oh, shit, were you in here the whole time?” Harry asked, blushing.

 

Tikki turned her back to him.

 

“I was here for enough of it,” she called over her shoulder. “And I’ll never forgive you for the things I _saw_.”

 

“Sorry,” Harry apologized. He sat down at his desk and placed a hand on his forehead.

 

Harry just felt so guilty about leaving Chat Noir hanging; it was his patrol night, and Harry didn’t meet him on the rooftop. Oh god, what if Chat had heard the noises? Harry’s hand slipped down to cover his mouth.

 

“ _Fuuuck_ ,” he whispered.

 

Chat Noir was never going to look at him the same.

 

The guilt of blowing Chat off weighed on Harry all day; it followed him around his flat, on the walk he took to chase the guilt off his back with fresh air, and even at work. He was in the back, kneading some dough to put in the freezer for tomorrow’s bread, when he heard a voice in the front.

 

“Can I have a chocolate croissant, please?”

 

Harry looked up at the doorway to the main space of the bakery, but he didn’t catch sight of the owner of the familiar voice.

 

“Yeah, thanks,” the voice continued. Probably paying for a pastry. But what was Chat Noir doing at Harry’s place of work? Maybe he missed the pastries Harry usually brought to their little meetings.

 

Harry distractedly brushed at a curl that had fallen out of his bun, leaving a streak of flour on his face. It blended in with the rest of the flour coating him. Working in a bakery had its hazards.

 

Harry stepped up to the doorway separating the kitchen from the main shop, abandoning the dough on the island behind him. He leaned in the frame, looking around to see where Chat Noir had gone.

 

“Harry!” a familiar voice called. Harry followed it to see Louis grinning at him.

 

Reflexively, Harry grinned back, search for Chat Noir fading to the back of his mind in this new sunlight. “Louis!” he replied.

 

“I was hoping to see you here, actually,” Louis said sweetly. Harry blushed. Which was ridiculous. This was his boyfriend. The word made the butterfly tattoo on his stomach flutter its wings.

 

“And,” Louis continued, gesturing with a hand holding a pastry bag, “I really love these chocolate croissants.”

 

“I made those,” Harry said.

 

Louis grinned even wider. “They’re my favorite thing! And I’m not just saying this because you’re so pretty, covered in flour like you are.”

 

Harry blushed again, pulling at that loose curl. “Thanks.”

 

Louis stepped right up to the counter. “Do you…” words seemed to fail him as Harry looked at him through his eyelashes. Louis cleared his throat. “Do you want to sit with me?”

 

Harry, still hovering halfway in the door, glanced at the kitchen behind him. “I’m working,” he said through his smile. “You know I’d love to, if I could.”

 

Louis shrugged. “Alright… when do you get off?” he asked.

 

Harry smirked and leaned towards him over the counter. “With you tonight, I hope.”

 

“ _Harold!_ ” Louis said, scandalized, pulling gently on a bouncy curl with a shocked laugh. “This is a place of business!”

  
Harry laughed. “I do want to sit with you, though,” he said seriously, suddenly shy again. It was ridiculous to feel like this; he had woken up with this boy in his bed.

 

Louis grinned. “Then come do it.”

 

Harry laughed. “I can’t just go!”

 

Louis looked around at the nearly-empty shop. “You’re right,” he said, sounding about as sincere as someone on the verge of laughter can. “They really look like they need you back there.”

 

Harry looked around, too, at the bored cashier and the three people spread around the different tables, each on a laptop. He nodded slowly. “Alright.”

 

Louis brightened. “Really?”

 

Harry grinned back, mirroring the rays of light that seemed to shine from the crinkles next to Louis’ eyes. He cupped Louis’ face with a hand and thumbed them. “Really.”

 

Harry hopped over the counter, slipping a little and tripping a bit upon landing. He didn’t mind the embarrassment, though, not when it meant Louis had his hands on Harry’s hip and lower back, a fond but concerned look on his face. A shock of electricity shot up Harry’s spine from the pressure of Louis’ fingertips through the thin material of Harry’s shirt.

 

“Alright, Bambi?” Louis asked with a soft laugh.

 

“I’ve never felt better,” Harry said honestly, staring into his eyes.

 

Louis blushed at the intense eye contact. It honestly felt like a scene straight out of a romance movie.

 

The two of them went to sit at a small round table, chairs gravitating toward each other from the opposite sides as Harry and Louis sat down. Harry definitely didn’t mind, and Louis didn’t seem to either.

 

Louis delicately opened his paper bag. Harry admired his wrists, which were even more delicate than the lines of ink tattooed onto them. Louis pulled out his food and brought it to his mouth as Harry watched, biting his own lip.

 

“You’re staring at me like a serial killer,” Louis said conversationally.

 

“You’re just so beautiful. Like fine art,” Harry said, shrugging. Who could blame him for watching such an exquisite creature?

 

“Fine art?” Louis said, clearly flattered. “I’m sure that’s a stretch.”

 

Harry shook his head. “No,” he said quickly. “No way. You have to remind me to never take you to an art museum, because you’d steal all the attention from the work. They’d have to throw you out for it.”

 

Louis blushed, looking down to hide his smile.

 

“Your eyelashes are so beautiful,” Harry marvelled, edging closer to him. He couldn’t help it, it was as if they were magnetically connected. He was so enamoured by this boy.

 

Louis looked up fiercely. “You’re one to talk,” he said. “All this about how _I’m_ pretty when _you_ were sculpted by the hands of Michelangelo himself! No, better than that! I can’t even look at you for too long, Harry, it’s like staring into the face of a lighthouse,” he said matter-of-factly.

 

Harry opened his mouth to argue.

 

“No, don’t even try that. You’re _so_ attractive, even with your mouth hanging open like that. Your lips alone- they’re just _obscene!_ And that pink with your green eyes and those _curls_ \- I never stood a chance.”

 

Harry blushed happily, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. “Thank you,” he said.

 

Louis had a similar expression on his face, and Harry couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss it right off.

 

“We really make quite the couple, don’t we?” Louis laughed.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis sighed, stretched across the long peak of a roof in his full Chat Noir getup.

 

His head felt dizzy from watching the clouds go by, but he didn’t have much else to do while he waited for Ladybug so they could patrol together. It was his own fault, really. He had come early, which was rare enough for Louis, but he hadn’t wanted to go home after his conversation with Harry.

 

Being complimented so thoroughly in such a genuine way by such a gorgeous boy- it had honestly snatched Louis’ breath away. He rolled out his shoulders, still watching the sky. He could get a peek at a few particularly bright stars through the wispy clouds and the light pollution of Paris, but it just brought his mind right back to Harry.

 

Louis knew that some part of people was made up of stardust. The atoms making up some of the molecules in Louis’ own blood stream, alongside everyone else’s, came from up there. His probably came from the same star as Harry’s; it was the only explanation for the buzzing in his veins whenever he saw him. But though he scientifically knew that everyone was 40% stardust, Louis felt that Harry’s particles had a little bit more space.

 

A shadow fell over his contemplative face.

 

“Good evening, Chat,” a familiar voice said.

 

“Hello, Bug,” Louis replied without turning his head.

 

Because this had brought him back to what had been bothering him so much earlier, to the point of seeking out Harry in his place of work. Louis’ feelings toward Ladybug were… undecided. He had been so in love for so long, but then Harry had slipped right into place and Louis found himself coated in some feeling he didn’t want to wash off. But Ladybug… Louis didn’t know if he’d ever feel _nothing_. It felt like he was cheating on Harry, and it was slowly eating him up.

 

“Ready?” Ladybug was asking in that deep, comforting voice of his. He held out a red gloved hand.

 

Louis finally looked up at his partner, a silhouette against the lights of the city.

 

“Always,” he replied, standing up with the offered hand.

 

The two of them ran off into the night, bounding over rooftops, flawlessly in sync with each other from familiarity with each other and routine.

 

The two of them roamed in companionable silence for a while, and finally came to a rest sitting on the fire escape of some tall hotel. Louis gazed down at the blinking lights below and felt Ladybug rest his head on Louis’ lap, staring up at the sky, almost an exact mirror of Louis’ earlier position.

 

Louis subconsciously ran a hand over Ladybug’s hair, smooth and then catching on the messy bun.

 

“Are you petting me, _Chaton_?” Ladybug asked, amused. “I thought you were the kitty in this relationship.”

 

A jolt of guilt smacked Louis at the word ‘relationship.’ He swallowed it down and continued his movements. “How long is your hair?” he asked, fingering the bun and ignoring the tease.

 

Ladybug shrugged against Louis thighs. “I don’t know. Long,” he answered.

 

Louis pulled it out of its bun. The hair slid out, curling and draping across Louis’ lap.

 

“Oh,” he said, happily surprised. “You have very nice hair,” he complimented.

 

“Thanks,” Ladybug responded, sounding surprised. “My boyfriend likes to mess with it.”

 

At the word boyfriend, Louis’s guilt felt marginally lighter. Ladybug had a boyfriend. It couldn’t be emotional cheating if Ladybug didn’t feel the same. Not that Louis was still in love with him- or he was? Maybe? But not? It was a confusing situation. Maybe he loved both Ladybug and Harry- fuck if Louis knew.

 

“Boyfriend? When did this happen?” Louis asked playfully, tugging gently on one of Ladybug’s curls to watch it bounce back.

 

Ladybug was blushing underneath the mask. Louis could tell, even in the low light. He knew his partner too well.

 

“It’s very recent,” Ladybug said. “But I’m really happy with him,” he confessed. “He makes me feel whole, somehow. And I didn’t even feel broken before. It’s like he’s added onto my already complete soul and just… He’s great.”

 

Louis smiled, happy for his friend. “That’s really nice.”

 

“What about you?” Ladybug asked. “Anything new in your romantic life?”

 

Louis shrugged, but a new-familiar fond smile sprung to his face at the thought of Harry.

 

“Ooh,” Ladybug cooed, “there is.”

 

Louis laughed. “Yeah, there is. I’ve also started seeing someone.”

 

Ladybug clapped excitedly for him. “Nice! I’m so happy for you, _Chaton_!”

 

Louis laughed, stretching his neck to look at the sky. “He makes me really happy,” Louis admitted. “I’d do anything for him already.”

 

Ladybug grinned. “I’m very glad.”

 

Louis’ grin grew. “I’m _paw_ -sitively smitten.”

 

Ladybug groaned at the pun, rolling slightly. “I hate you, no matter how happy I am for you, the smitten kitten you are.”

 

Louis laughed. “I guess I _am_.”

 

Ladybug giggled. He looked happier than Louis had seen in ages.

 

“So what’s this boy like?” Ladybug asked. “Tall and strong? Silly and cute?”

 

Louis blinked up at the stars. “All of those things, actually. I don’t even know what to say about him. He’s… he’s like that,” he said, pointing towards the stars.

 

“The clouds?” asked Ladybug.

 

“No,” Louis replied. “Well, yes. Those too. But he’s all the stars.”

 

Ladybug nodded like this was a thing that made complete sense. “I know what you mean, exactly.”

 

“Really?”

 

Ladybug nodded, head pushing against Louis’ thighs, hair tangling from the position.

 

“Mine is, too.”

 

Louis tilted his head. “What’s he like?”

 

Ladybug shrugged. “He’s ethereal. He’s amazing. I’d say he’s perfect, if that was possible, but he’s just about as close as anyone could get.” Ladybug hesitated. Louis waited silently for him to express himself. “I wouldn’t tell him this,” Ladybug said quietly, “but I’ve actually been in love with him for ages.”

 

“Why wouldn’t you tell him?” Louis asked, curious but still feeling the small twinge of jealousy that he just couldn’t shake.

 

“We’ve only been together for a few days,” Ladybug said, seeming smaller and more vulnerable than Louis had even seen. “But I’ve loved him from the first word he said to me, more than a year ago. We weren’t even friends, really, until recently, and I don’t want to scare him off.”

 

Louis nodded. “I get it.” He looked down at Ladybug, who looked conflicted, staring at Louis’ masked face. A month ago, Louis would have killed to catch Ladybug looking at him like that.

 

“I’m scared, too,” he admitted, voice barely audible over the sounds of the street below.

 

“Really?” Ladybug asked. “I thought you weren’t scared of anything,” he said sincerely.

 

Louis was struck by the comment. He opened his mouth, but no words formed. He shut it again.

 

“Thank you for always having my back,” Ladybug whispered. “Thank you for protecting me.”

 

“I- It’s my honor,” Louis stuttered out quietly, still reeling from the emotional honesty. He’d never had this type of conversation with his partner, and his face was burning without his permission.

 

The two were silent for the rest of the night, but Louis was far from comfortable. Thoughts whirled around in his head faster than his hair did in the wind as they leapt and ran their way over the rooftops of the city, lit from below by yellow light. Shouts and laughs of civilians drifted up to the two of them as they patrolled, filling their own quiet.

 

The conversation with Ladybug hadn’t eased Louis’ guilt by any means. Now, if anything, he was surer of his love for the superhero _and_ for Harry. Louis laid in bed that night, but there was no resting in store for him as he tossed and turned more than the churning waves on the sides of the Seine.

 

Louis spared a thought for Ladybug’s identity, confident that he could get over the hero if only he knew who was behind the mask. Shit, maybe he even already knew Ladybug! Louis was only in love with _one_ unmasked person, so it followed that he could wipe away his last traces of emotion for Ladybug if only he knew just what was behind that red spotted mask.

 

As he rolled over again, a thought occurred to Louis that made him laugh out loud. If only Harry was Ladybug -- how easy this all would be!

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Harry yawned, loud enough that Liam probably heard him over in the next room. All these nights of patrolling and staying up with Chat or Louis were catching up to him. Harry gulped down his coffee resiliently. Tonight was not the night to start giving in, not when he had to meet Chat. Especially after he had ghosted him last time.

 

On his most recent “date” with Louis (which consisted of sitting on the couch and watching Netflix on Louis’ laptop), Harry had actually fallen asleep on Louis’ shoulder. Come to think of it, though, Louis had also fallen asleep, judged on the way they woke up spooning. Actually, Louis’ tiredness had kept solid pace with Harry’s for a while now. Harry briefly wondered what Louis spent his nights doing. He spent a moment considering if it was crazy to want to move in with the other boy after only a few days. Harry had a ridiculously domestic dream of the most casually intimate things: watching Louis’ nightly routine, seeing him in his- _their_ bed in the dim light through a window.  (Nighttime was one on a list of Harry’s many favorite times to admire him.)

 

(Also on that list was in candlelight- the two of them had plans for a special date a week from tonight, and Harry had been buzzing about it for two days. They were going somewhere nice, for once; Louis had taken to calling it their ‘coming out date,’ as they’d done everything in the privacy of their own homes before. He had made the plans before asking Harry, actually, but wouldn’t tell Harry anything about it other than to dress to the nines. Harry was hoping it was Italian. It probably was, Louis knew him very well. He also knew that teasing about it as much as he was would drive Harry crazy in the best way. Louis kept using the classic bait and switch to hide the information; Harry was painfully pleased by the suspense.)

 

Before Harry could get lost (more lost) in imaginary images of his favorite boy, there was a rapping at his window. Harry stepped up to open it, grinning at Chat Noir.

 

“Hello,” he greeted.

 

“Good evening,” the hero replied with a happy grin, blue eyes glinting in the small light of Harry’s solitary lamp.

 

“Why so formal? And why do you look so happy?”

 

“Am I not allowed to be glad to see you?” Chat responded, climbing in through the window. Harry stepped aside to allow him.

 

“Sorry I didn’t show up last time, I completely forgot what night it was and I got swept away with something else and- _oh!_ I have big news for you! But, like, I just feel so guilty for not showing up and you probably saw what was happening in here and-” Harry interrupted his own rant. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Chat Noir was the picture of confused: brows furrowed, mouth twisted, and eyes squinting under his tousled hair.

 

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

 

“Three days ago,” Harry said slowly, now confused himself. “It was one of our nights and I missed it.”

 

“Oh!” Understanding lit up Chat’s expression. He shrugged. “It’s fine. I was, uh, _otherwise engaged_ as well,” he said carefully.

 

Harry squinted, still confused. “Okay,” he said slowly.

 

Chat moved swiftly past the strange conversation. “What big news do you have for me?”

 

Harry grinned, previous confusion swept away in the sudden glow that could only come from one thing. “Louis and I are together,” he said excitedly. “It’s a dream come true,” he laughed, eyes twinkling.

 

Chat watched him with a fond little smile of his own. “I’m really glad,” he said. The previous tightness that had penetrated their conversations about Louis before had gone, but Harry was too busy thinking about the past few days that he didn’t notice.

 

“It’s so amazing,” Harry gushed. “ _He’s_ so amazing. And I tell him as much as I can, but, like, it’s not enough, because he’s just- I think it every second I have him in my sights,” Harry declared.

 

The twinkle in Chat’s eyes was far brighter than Harry’s little lamp.

 

“I love seeing you so happy,” he said.

 

Harry nodded, almost violently. “I am,” he agreed. “ _So_ happy.”

 

Chat grinned. “He’s probably twice as crazy about you.”

 

Harry laughed. “That’s sweet, _Chaton_ , but it’s just not possible. I just- it’s _so_ much.”

 

Chat grinned at him. “I’m glad it worked out so well.”

 

Harry laughed. “You probably don’t want to listen to me talk about him any more than I have. I’ve bothered you for weeks,” Harry laughed.

 

“Nothing you do bothers me,” Chat said.

 

Harry laughed again. “I hope Louis feels the same way. But, anyway, what have you been up to? Walking the streets? Adopting a whole bunch of alleyway kittens? What?”

 

Chat laughed. “Is that what you think superheroes do? Find boxes of kittens to adopt?”

 

“You could be their dad,” Harry pointed out. “You’re just a big old tomcat,” he added, scratching Chat’s head between the fake ears the same way you would an actual cat. Chat purred, and Harry honestly wasn’t sure if it was an impulse or just for the joke.

 

“See?” he continued. “You should adopt some kittens.”

 

Chat laughed. “I’m not prepared to be a single parent to fifteen kittens.”

 

Harry grinned at him. “You don’t have to be! I’ll be their mom!”

 

Chat laughed. “You’re a dude, Harry. They can have two male parents. It’s 2017.”

 

Harry laughed, dropping into his desk chair to look up at Chat. He spread out his long legs and toed the sparse carpet with a socked foot.

 

“And you don’t have to get _fifteen_ ,” Harry continued from his earlier statement as if they hadn’t been talking. “You should probably start with one. Maybe two, if you’re brave.”

 

“I’m _brave_ ,” Chat said, puffing out his chest and standing a little taller. “I save Paris on a weekly basis!”

 

“ _Ladybug_ saves Paris on a weekly basis,” Harry teased.

 

“I thought we were _friends_ ,” Chat said, offended. “Ladybug and I are equal partners.”

 

Harry laughed. “Well, I mean, Ladybug’s _taller_ , so, even just on the physical level, he’s a little more than you.”

 

“Ladybug is _not_ taller than me,” Chat said indignantly. “ _We_ are the _same height_.”

 

Harry raised a doubtful eyebrow. Even if he hadn’t already known the truth, Chat couldn’t lie to him.

 

“We _are!_ ” Chat insisted.

 

Harry just looked at him.

 

Chat leaned in closer, raising an eyebrow of his own.

 

Harry gestured to get him to come even closer. Harry leaned in as well until they were close enough that Harry couldn’t see anything outside of Chat’s black mask.

 

“Ladybug’s taller than you,” he whispered.

 

Chat Noir sprang up. “You’re a dirty liar,” he accused, pointing a finger at Harry so as not to cast any doubt upon who was, in fact, the dirty liar. As if being the only two people in the room wasn’t enough.

 

Harry just grinned calmly back at his friend. He could see the humor twinkling in Chat’s eyes.

 

“All of Paris knows it,” he replied smoothly.

 

Chat frowned at him. “You’re a terrible friend.”

 

“I keep you humble,” Harry said.

 

“Which makes you a terrible, terrible, _awful_ friend.”

 

Harry grinned. “If I must.”

 

Chat sat down on Harry’s bed. “Awful,” he said once more, pointedly.

 

Harry laughed, getting up to go sit next to him. Chat was the same height as Louis, he noticed as he sat. The warmth up his arm was familiar from both of them, stopping at the same height. Harry relaxed, not thinking too much into it. There were lots of short people in Paris.

 

“Got any plans this week, Harold?” Chat asked, leaning back on his hands.

 

Harry shrugged. “Yes. But Louis won’t tell me what they are,” he pouted.

 

Chat laughed. “That face is cute, babe, but it’s not gonna get you any information.”

 

Harry grinned, leaning closer. “I think it’ll convince him eventually.”

 

“Not before next Friday,” Chat teased.

 

Harry laughed. “We’ll see. I’ll wear him down.”

 

Chat grinned at him from the short distance. “We’ll see,” he repeated.

 

“You should be supporting me in this endeavor,” Harry said. “You might be my best friend.”

 

Chat laughed. “Your other friends must be terrible.”

 

“Or you’re just really great,” Harry countered.

 

Chat grinned at him, relaxing further. “Let’s be realistic, here.”

 

Harry turned to him after a comfortable moment. “We should do something.”

 

“We are doing something,” Chat pointed out. “Sitting.”

 

“We _always_ do,” Harry said. “Let’s play a game.”

 

“Do you know of any games to play?” Chat asked.

 

Harry cocked his head, thinking. “We have some cards, I think.”

 

Chat shrugged. “Alright.”

 

Harry went to get the cards, and the distraction lasted them for hours. Chat Noir, as it turned out, was a competitive motherfucker. Unfortunately for him, so was Harry. They stayed up ‘til nearly four in the morning winning and losing and gloating and declaring that the other had cheated.

 

Harry finally noticed the time after their sixteenth round of _Go Fish_.

 

“Fuck, it’s getting late.”

 

“No fair, you just won!” Chat cried. “One more round!”

 

Harry laughed. “It’s nearly four, look,” he pointed to the digital clock by his bed.

 

Chat frowned. “I should probably go.”

 

Harry nodded and they both stood up. They stepped toward the window and Harry said his goodbye as he unlatched the window.

 

“I’ll see you soon,” he said, stepping back to allow Chat to step into the frame. He wrapped his arms around Chat before he left.

 

“Of course,” Chat said, dropping a quick kiss to Harry’s lips. “We’ve got that date next week,” he laughed with a twinkle in his eye, jumping off before he could register the shocked look on Harry’s face.

 

Everything froze for a long moment as Harry stood, shocked and frozen, eyes fixed on the space Chat had just left.

 

“Louis?” Harry asked the dark, empty window. He stepped back, shocked, mouthing questions at his room. A breeze disturbed a few papers on his desk. Harry wound his hands through his hair, gripping the roots to ground himself.

 

He looked back at the window as if it would contain the answer to his yet unspoken question. Unsurprisingly, it enclosed neither the answer nor the boy who had caused it.

 

“Holy shit,” Harry whispered, covering his mouth with his hands and turning around slowly. “Louis is Chat Noir. _Louis_ is _Chat Noir. I’m dating Chat Noir._ ”

 

He whipped around, looking desperately for his kwami, whom was nowhere to be found.

 

“Tikki, holy shit,” he whispered panickedly, still searching desperately, as if the kwami could restore his chill. “Tikki, I turned down the advances of the boy I was desperate for _for nearly a year!_ ” He sounded near hysterical, voice getting louder.

 

“Louis is Chat Noir!” he said again, in a strangled whisper, dropping down defeatedly onto the bed. He looked at the now-empty spot where Chat- _Louis_ had been.

 

“Fuck,” he whispered in awe.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Louis whispered, “fuck, fuck, _fuck._ ”

 

He had just given away his identity. Harry knew. He knew that Louis was the superhero he’d been hanging out with- _talking to about Louis_. It was over. Harry was gonna break up with him over this. Louis was gonna be alone again, have to watch Harry date a whole parade of men- men who didn’t have secret lives they actively hid from him. Fuck.

 

Louis had passed his flat a while ago, but the running and the movement kept him from spiralling. Mostly, anyway.

 

“Why did I _do_ that?” he hissed. There were tons of answers: he was tired, distracted, swept away in the moment, maybe he had _wanted to_ , maybe he _let_ it slip out- None of the answers were of any help.

 

Maybe Harry would understand, maybe he’d get it like Niall did- no, what was he thinking, no one could roll with something like Niall. Not just anyone could be Niall.

 

Fuck.

 

Louis was in such deep shit.

 

He couldn’t sleep that night, again: it had now been two nights without rest, and it was taking a toll.

 

“Jesus, you look like shit,” Niall greeted him first thing in the morning.

 

“Thanks,” Louis said, pushing past him to pick up his coffee from the cafe’s counter.

 

“Seriously, mate, are you alright?” Niall pressed, concerned.

 

“I’m fine. Just haven’t slept in two days, is all,” Louis shrugged, sipping his coffee and aggressively walking out of the shop.

 

Niall followed him down the sidewalk. “Two days?!” he responded, shocked. “Dude, that isn’t healthy. You can’t go to class like this. I can’t let you.”

 

“Oh,” Louis said, stopping in his tracks and suddenly turning around, “and I accidentally revealed my secret identity to Harry.”

 

 _“What,”_ Niall asked flatly.

 

“I let it slip,” Louis said, voice increasing in pitch as he got closer and closer to panicking right there on the sidewalk. He couldn’t embarrass himself in front of all these pedestrians. Louis chugged half of his coffee. It burned his tongue, and he let the pain ground him. “It was an accident,” he said weakly.

 

Niall, with a comforting face, gently took hold of his elbow and steered him onto a little bench tucked away in a corner.

 

“Tell me the whole story,” he said calmly, keeping his hand on Louis arm.

 

Louis did.

 

Niall was quiet for a moment, contemplating what to say.

 

“That wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” he said. “And you were gonna tell him eventually, right?”

 

Louis shrugged. “Yeah,” he said tightly, “yeah, I guess.”

 

“And now you can stop feeling guilty- yes, Louis, I know that you don’t like keeping secrets from him. I’m a super observant, super amazing friend. Yes. I know.”

 

Louis rolled his eyes. “You have a point. About the guilt. Not the super amazing friend bit.”

 

Niall rolled his eyes. “Alright, prick. But it’s gonna be alright, you know? Harry’s not gonna leave you for this. If anything, he’s gonna be super pumped to be dating one of the ‘Heroes of Paris.’”

 

Louis nodded. “Okay. Maybe.”

 

“Don’t say anything to him, though,” Niall said, “just in case. He’ll bring it up when he’s done processing the fact that he fucked _Chat Noir_.”

 

Louis groaned, bringing his hands to his face dramatically. _“Don’t talk so casually about my sex life, Niall.”_

 

Niall laughed. “What? He _did_!”

 

Louis groaned again.

 

“And Chat Noir probably fucked him back.”

 

“I’m never talking to you again,” Louis said. “Never,” he promised.

 

Niall cackled. “Who else is gonna get you through this major fuck-up?”

 

Louis elbowed him. “I’ll get Liam.”

 

“Have you told Liam that you’re Chat Noir?” Niall asked innocently.

 

Louis scowled at him. “No,” he finally admitted.

 

Niall grinned brightly at him as if he wasn’t a life-ruining little shit. Louis took a sip of his coffee.

 

“He already knows, anyway,” Niall said casually.

 

Louis choked on his coffee. “ _What?_ ” he rasped, coughing.

 

Niall cackled. “We figured it out a while ago. Liam and I are geniuses, you see.”

 

Louis glared at him. “You _told_ him?”

 

Niall shrugged. “He told me who Ladybug was.”

 

Louis choked again, spilling hot coffee on his jacket. He should really have known better than to drink it around Niall.

 

“Who?” he demanded.

 

Niall gave him a look. “I ain’t no snitch,” he said.

 

Louis gaped at him. “Oh my god,” he said flatly. “I literally hate you.”

 

Niall cackled. “You’ll find out soon enough. You two are, like, best friends.”

 

“Well, I mean, we work together,” Louis said. “He hasn’t told me yet, I don’t know why he would now.”

 

Niall took a sip of Louis’ coffee calmly. “He will.”

 

Louis squinted at him. Niall turned pensively back, still drinking Louis’ coffee.

 

“How the fuck do you know so many things,” Louis wondered.

 

Niall shrugged. “I just do.”

 

Louis sighed, settling back into the bench to watch the people go by.

 

Maybe Niall was right. Maybe Harry would think it was cool. Maybe he’d understand. Louis bit his lip, calmer than before, but still full of anxious thoughts. He yawned. That coffee wasn’t doing what he’d bought it for.

 

Louis settled back further, not noticing as he slowly drifted off to sleep on the bench.

 

His last thought was the realization of calmness. He wasn’t worried; he knew Niall had his back.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

The next time Harry saw Louis was when they were battling an akuma. There was no time for personal matters when there was evil to face, so the whole Louis-is-my-partner-whom-I’ve-been-having-confusing-feelings-toward-for-a-while-while-I-was-in-love-with-him-as-Louis thing took a back seat. The only impact it made was Harry’s fresh unwillingness to let anything bad happen to Chat Noir.

 

But after the fight was won and the akuma was purified, there was nothing stopping Harry from confronting his masked boyfriend. Other than his own mask, probably.

 

As they did their traditional fist bump, grinning at each other for a battle well fought, it all came crashing down on Harry. His eyes grew wide in a sudden fear and he couldn’t stop his legs as he sprinted away, not allowing himself the time to admit anything.

 

Only when Harry had rushed home and stood, panting, against his front door did he let himself think.

 

So, that was maybe not the best plan.

 

He _had_ a plan, actually. He was going to talk to Louis as Chat and let himself detransform- it was going to happen in a few minutes, anyway. He was _going_ to approach this like an adult rather than an impulsive teenager, but apparently his DNA disagreed. Harry sighed. There must be some way to salvage this.

 

He stepped forward into his bedroom a new plan forming in his head. Harry, still transformed into Ladybug, positioned himself against a neutral wall and pulled out his weapon, flipping it open and accessing the screen. He tapped a few buttons before he could convince himself not to and it began to ring. The three seconds it took for Chat Noir to answer felt like an eternity.

 

The dots on the small screen disappeared and Harry looked into his partner’s confused, masked face.

 

“Hi,” he started.

 

“Is something wrong?” Chat asked concernedly. “I’m about to detransform.”

 

“It’s fine,” Harry said, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the big reveal. “Because-”

 

“ _Harry!_ ” Liam flung the bedroom door open. “ _You utter dick, I can’t believe you ate all of my fucking leftover soup-_ ” He stopped suddenly, registering Harry’s shocked, masked face and the super-skype session that was obviously happening. “Oh,” he said in a small voice. “I’m- I’m gonna go,” he said delicately, grimacing and stepping out of the room, closing the door behind him.

 

“Um,” Chat Noir’s voice came from the small screen again. “H- Harry?” he inquired with the tone of someone who’s unsure whether the floor they’re stepping onto will hold their weight.

 

“Yeah,” Harry said slowly, still staring at the door, shocked. His miraculous beeped once, signaling the last few seconds of his costume. “Um, so that’s what I was about to tell you.”

 

Chat Noir stared at him, looking as shocked as Harry felt.

 

“ _Holy shit,_ ” he whispered.

 

Harry nodded. “Yeah.”

 

A flash filled the room as he detransformed, and the yo-yo in his hands melted to nothing as he changed. Harry gently caught his kwami as she reappeared, nestling her comfortably into his hands.

 

“Well,” he addressed her.

 

Tikki nodded. “Well put.”

 

Harry laughed, relieved that his own secret was finally out in the world. Well, his world, anyway.

 

Less than an hour later, there was a rapping at his window. Harry went to open it.

 

“It’s not your night,” he said casually to Chat Noir, who was sitting there on his haunches expectantly.

 

He ignored Harry and leaned in immediately to kiss him. Harry kissed him back wholeheartedly.

 

Louis leaned back minutely to breathe, touching Harry’s face with his hands and his forehead. “Hello,” he breathed.

 

“Hi,” Harry said back.

 

“I can’t believe it was you,” Louis said, fiddling with Harry’s curls behind his back.

 

Harry shrugged.

 

“But at the same time, it really couldn’t have been anyone else,” Louis said.

 

Harry had to kiss him at that. He grabbed Louis’ black-clad legs firmly and lifted him out of the window frame. Louis wrapped his legs around Harry’s waist.

 

They broke the kiss again, hovering barely apart. Louis lips brushed Harry’s as he spoke again.

 

“I can’t believe it’s been you this whole time.”

 

Harry smiled. “It was always you, for me.”

 

Louis nodded, forehead bumping into Harry’s.

 

“Always.”

 

He stepped down from Harry’s arms, feet landing finally on Harry’s carpet. Louis stepped back and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and lifting his chin. A bright green light filled Harry’s room and worked its way down Louis’ body, stripping him first of his mask then restoring his clothes as it travelled. The last of the magic wind whipped their ankles and finally Louis stood in front of Harry, everything out in the open.

 

“Do you even know how conflicted I was,” he said, stepping forward and keeping eye contact with Harry. Despite being so much smaller, right now Louis seemed like the biggest thing in the room. “Having all these feelings for Ladybug while being so fixated on you? It was the only real answer, you being him. There’s nobody else that can make me feel the way you do.”

 

Harry’s heartbeat was louder than his breath. His pupils must have been blown entirely, eclipsing the green of his eyes and reducing them to rings.

 

Louis had finally reached him, and stood on his tiptoes to whisper into Harry’s ear. “There’s nobody else in the whole world that I want other than you, Bug.”

 

Harry shivered. “ _Chaton_ ,” he pleaded, not quite knowing what he was asking for. The innocent name was dirty, the way it dripped out of his lips longingly.

 

“There can’t be anyone else,” Louis continued, now kissing his way down Harry’s jaw and neck, “because you’re my whole world, Harry.”

 

Harry outright moaned, not knowing if it came from Louis’ actions or his words. He hoped Liam was long gone, because things were about to happen in this flat that didn’t belong to anyone else. Harry pulled Louis into a kiss. His hands felt big on Louis’ small body and he let them roam, forgetting about the open window, Liam, even the fact that Louis traipsed around the city in the world’s tightest leather cat costume (well, maybe _that_ one stayed in his mind). Louis gasped into Harry’s mouth. Harry was instantly addicted, kissing desperately, like Louis was the only thing keeping him alive, like he _needed_ Louis in some survivalistic way. And he sort of did. Harry couldn’t imagine anything without Louis.

 

“Transform for me,” Louis whispered, voice rough, hanging onto Harry like his life depended upon it.

 

Harry nodded, unable to do anything but what Louis asked, and whispered the command. A consuming light surrounded him and worked its way down his body. Louis stepped back to allow his eyes to follow. As soon as the white light faded and Harry’s body was coated, showing off every muscle in red and black. Louis jumped on him immediately, slow hands a delicious juxtaposition to the fast-paced heat.

 

“I still can’t believe it’s you,” Louis said, awestruck, voice gravelly.

 

“ _I_ can’t believe it was _you_ ,” Harry countered.

 

“I told you, Bug,” Louis suddenly laughed happily, “we were _meant to be_.”

 

Harry laughed, dipping down to place a much gentler kiss on Louis’ lips.

 

“I can’t believe I didn’t listen.”

 

“What _I_ really can’t believe,” Louis said, pushing Harry onto the bed and straddling him, “is how fantastic our sex is going to be now that we can use our superpowers.”

 

Harry laughed. “Please don’t use your cataclysm on me.”

 

Louis laughed harder at the image of whipping out his destructive powers during sex, throwing his head back and leaving his neck on display. Harry couldn’t help sitting up to attach his mouth to the exposed skin.

 

“I was thinking,” Louis cut himself off with a moan, “we could do- _oh_ \- we could-” he whimpered again, at the mercy of Harry’s mouth. Rather than using words, Louis grabbed the yo-yo off of Harry’s hip. “ _This._ ”

 

Harry finally detached his lips from Louis neck to moan loudly, leaving Louis’ neck littered with scarlet marks and both boys eager.

 

_“Yes.”_

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

Louis woke up the next morning entangled and hot, skin stuck to Harry’s and covered in sweat and the marks from last night, shoulder numb from its position nestled under Harry’s, but he wouldn’t give anything to be anywhere else. The thick musk of sex was still very present in the room, but Louis didn’t mind and wrapped himself around the other boy’s body. Harry hummed happily in his sleep, clearly approving of the position. Louis smiled into Harry’s neck.

 

“Hiiiii,” Harry said quietly, voice deep and gravelly and the most alluring thing Louis had ever heard as he turned to look at him through mostly-closed eyes. The picture of smooth skin and sleep-tousled hair in front of him was the most alluring thing Louis had ever seen.

 

He kissed Harry lightly on his red lips. “Good morning, lovebug,” he whispered, his own voice rough as well, but more content than it had ever been. “Sorry if I woke you.”

 

“‘S fine,” Harry said sleepily, “wouldn’t want to miss a moment of you, anyway.”

 

Louis blushed and pecked Harry on the lips again. Though the words themselves remained unspoken, the love in the air was palpable. To be loved and to be in love: it was all Louis had wanted for so long. This was all he wanted. _Harry_ was all he wanted.

 

“You’re the prettiest person I’ve ever seen,” Louis said quietly, so as not to disturb their little bubble.

 

“That’s ridiculous,” Harry said, nestling his face back into the pillow and refusing to open his eyes, “because I know as a matter of fact that you own, like, seven mirrors.”

 

Louis laughed, burying his face into Harry’s neck. “ _And_ you’re sweet.”

 

Harry mumbled something into the pillow.

 

“What was that?”

 

Harry popped his head up, eye still shutting out the light. “Nothing,” he said, grinning.

 

Louis poked a finger into his dimple, laughing. “ _And_ you make me so happy. You’re quite the package, Mr. Styles.”

 

“Mr. Tomlinson-Styles,” Harry corrected with a grin, laying back into the pillow.

 

“Oh, so we’re married now?” Louis asked happily. “When did this happen? Was I present?”

 

“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Harry said, snuggling closer to Louis despite the heat. “You should’ve seen it, Lou.”

 

Louis laughed, unconsciously tracing little circles around the larger of Harry’s sparrow tattoos with his finger. “Really?”

 

Harry nodded, pulling Louis even closer. It was going to be hard to get closer than they already were, after this. “The flowers were stunning.”

 

Louis hummed. “How was the food?”

 

“I don’t know,” Harry said, “Niall ate it all.”

 

Louis laughed loudly, shattering through the quiet morning. Harry finally opened up his eyes and lifted himself up on his elbows. Louis was lifted by this as well, laid across Harry’s chest as he was.

 

“Hello,” Harry said.

 

Louis pushed forward the small bit it took to brush his nose against Harry’s. “Good morning. Your breath smells awful.”

 

Harry laughed, right into Louis’ face. Louis rolled off to avoid it.

 

“Hey,” Harry pouted, turning an exaggerated frown to him.

 

Louis ducked in to kiss it right off.

 

“This is a good morning,” Harry said with a wide grin when Louis pulled away.

 

“It’ll be better once we brush our teeth.”

 

Harry nodded, giving in, and the two of them got ready together. Louis put on one of Harry’s shirts and reveled in the looseness of it and the look it placed in Harry’s eyes.

 

Harry, in the way of revenge, didn’t put on a shirt at all. Or pants. He just walked right out into the living room in his boxers. Louis decided this was a positive example and followed in his own boxers. He followed Harry right up to the kitchen counter and leaned down on it, resting his chin on his palm.

 

“So,” he said.

 

“So,” Harry replied.

 

“Is it safe to cook breakfast in just your pants like that?”

 

Harry shrugged. “It’s not unsafe.”

 

Louis frowned. “As much as I love seeing as much of you as I can, I’d rather you didn’t burn that lovely skin on a scalding hot frying pan. Go put on an apron or something.”

 

Harry grinned, gesturing down to the lovebites which littered his hips. “I’m already all marked up.”

 

Louis smirked back. “Those are good marks. They won’t send you to the hospital.”

 

Harry leaned over the counter to Louis and looked down at him. “Then why don’t you come on over here and give me some more,” he said, voice dropping deeper.

 

Louis’ eyes glinted, and he probably would have, right there on the kitchen island, if Liam hadn’t walked in.

 

“Morning, lads,” he said, yawning and scratching his arm. “What’re you making?”

 

Harry turned to Liam with what seemed like a great effort. He flung his arms out wide. “History,” he replied dramatically.

 

Liam rolled his eyes, walking past him casually to sit next to Louis. “Bit early for that, isn’t it?”

 

Harry crossed his arms like a petulant child. “Are you even a little bit curious as to what we’re _doing_ to make history?”

 

Liam shook his head. “Knowing you? No.”

 

Louis huffed out a laugh. Harry turned on him. “Louis! Why are you on his side?”

 

Louis shrugged. “What are we doing to make history, baby?”

 

Harry smiled at him, dimples popping right back where they belonged. Louis decided to make it his mission to make sure they never left those spots.

 

“I’m glad you asked,” Harry said. “We’re giving Liam the scoop of the century.”

 

Liam perked up at this. “For the _Ladyblog_?”

 

Harry nodded. Louis caught on, making a little _‘o’_ with his mouth.

 

Liam looked between the two of them. “Ladybug and Chat Noir are dating?”

 

“Wha- _Liam!_ ” Harry said indignantly. “You just stole our moment!”

 

“Sorry,” Liam said, with the look of someone who was not sorry in the slightest. “Do you still want to say it?”

 

Harry glared at him. “That was rude.”

 

Liam shrugged, walking over the fridge. “You told Sophia that I only dated Zayn to find out what hair product he used.”

 

Louis laughed into his hand.

 

“And she greatly enjoyed that story,” Harry defended, still holding onto his angry facade.

 

Louis put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. He immediately softened. Liam looked between the two of them before shaking his head and looking away.

 

“But, like, Liam, you’ll still write the story for us, right?” Harry asked. He turned to Louis, concern written all over his face. “If you’re okay with it?”

 

Louis nodded quickly. “Yeah, of course I am! I’ve been telling people that Chat Noir and Ladybug have been dating for ages, anyway.”

 

Harry laughed, dipping down to peck a kiss to Louis’ lips. “You’re cute.”

 

Louis grinned. “Don’t put that in the story, Liam.”

 

Liam grinned at them, looking for all the world like the cutest puppy. “I’m so happy for you two.”

 

Louis smiled fondly at Harry, his overjoyed, fond, special smile reserved just for his boy. His Harry smile. “I am, too.”

 

Harry smiled his own Louis smile back.

 

“But, seriously, you’re gross.”

 

Louis turned and threw a balled up paper towel at him.

 

Harry cackled.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“You _still_ won’t tell me where we’re going?” Harry asked Louis as they walked down the street, dressed up for the fanciest restaurant Harry still hadn’t heard of.

 

Louis shook his head, wearing a tight lipped smile and a suit Harry wanted to rip right off of him, hair styled and hand interlocked with Harry’s. It was a perfect picture.

 

“I can’t believe this,” Harry said, unable to control his sunbeam smile. “Maybe I’ll just refuse to go until you tell me where you’re taking me. Maybe I’ll just stop right here and report you to the police for kidnap.”

 

Louis laughed. “You’re gonna turn me in?”

 

“Depends,” Harry laughed, “will you tell me where we’re going?”

 

Louis laughed. “It’s a surprise!” he insisted.

 

“It doesn’t have to be,” Harry tried.

 

Louis shook his head. “I’ve been planning this for weeks, it _better_ stay a surprise.”

 

Harry smiled at him as Louis led him through the sidewalk, relocating his hand to Harry’s lower back. He was so gone for Louis. He should probably have said the words by now; he’d been feeling them for so long, but they’d really only been dating for two and a half weeks, and he had no idea if Louis even felt the same.

 

“Did you get the reservation under Noir or Tomlinson?” he asked curiously.

 

Louis laughed out loud. “If I had done it under Noir, I’d have had to show up in a mask, and I’d never want to deprive you of this view,” he said, gesturing to his face.

 

“And for that I’d like to offer my sincerest thanks,” Harry replied, a grin cracking down the middle of his face.

 

A few people whispered at the sight of Louis as they walked, floored by the appearance of this supermodel in their midst. Harry ignored them all, jealousy and pride blooming somewhere in his chest at the reactions his beautiful boy elicited.

 

“Here we are,” Louis said, drawing close to a fancy, expensive-looking Italian place. Harry’s heart grew two sizes and stuttered to a stop as he looked at it. He looked at Louis, who was staring at Harry’s awestruck face.

 

“This is so nice,” Harry said. “I don’t know if they’ll let me in.”

 

Louis laughed, bringing a hand up to Harry’s face. “They’d let you in without a reservation, love, that’s how beautiful you look.”

 

Harry smiled, nerves disappearing at Louis’ reassurance. He leaned in to drop a firm kiss on Louis’ lips.

 

“Thanks,” he said quietly. Louis smiled sweetly at him.

 

“Let’s go in,” he said, nodding towards the door and once again steering Harry in the right direction.

 

Harry nodded, even though he knew Louis couldn’t see him, and went the way he was directed, entering the building through a large set of wooden doors and finding a lavish restaurant behind.

 

He was speechless; Louis had really gone all out.

 

“Lou,” he whispered, turning behind him with light in his eyes, “you didn’t have to do _this_.”

 

Louis’ cheeks tinged pink. “I’d do anything for you, H.”

 

Now it was Harry’s turn to blush. Louis stepped up to the hostess. “Reservation for Tomlinson?”

 

“Of course,” she replied pleasantly, picking up a short stack of menus. “Right this way.”

 

Louis and Harry followed her to their table, a nicely decorated table for two tucked near the back of the dining room. It was relatively private; Louis pulled out a chair for Harry and he sat down, beaming at Louis as he slid in across from Harry.

 

The hostess asked for a beginning order and took it before she left; Harry wasn’t really paying attention to anything other than Louis. He was just such a nice person to sit and admire, no matter what he was doing. Harry watched his jawline as he spoke, his eyes as he blinked, his posture and his slender neck: the options were limitless and endlessly interesting.

 

Louis turned to him, smiling shyly. “Do you like it?”

 

Harry grinned widely at him, grabbing his hand across the table. “Lou, oh my god, this is the most amazing place. Really, you didn’t have to do any of this.”

 

Louis smiled, rubbing his thumb on Harry’s hand. “Of course not, I know, but I wanted to take you out somewhere nice.” He leaned in close, grin growing wider, “And don’t the _Heroes of Paris_ deserve it?”

 

Harry laughed at the phrase, throwing his head back and enjoying it. He turned back to Louis, happiness shining in his eyes and three words in his head, turning and ready to be expressed. He opened his mouth, steeling himself to finally let them go, and-

 

A waiter walked up to take their order and Louis’ attention was turned elsewhere.

 

Harry didn’t remember what he ordered, so caught up in his own mind that it passed as a blur. He turned back to Louis once the waiter was finished and found him grinning at him with that special smile that Harry loved.

 

“What?” he asked. “Did I do a bad job?”

 

Louis laughed. “No, no, I’m just… you’re so charming. You get everyone around you to fall in love.”

 

And there it was again. That word. Harry was ready to tell Louis how he felt, he wanted to, so badly. But despite all the good things he knew about Louis, he was anxious about how the other boy would respond this early in the relationship.

 

“Actually, Harry, I brought you here tonight to tell you something important,” Louis said, shifting nervously.

 

Harry blinked, confused at the foreboding phrase. Apprehension dawned on him. _Important news_ \- that was rarely good. Louis had probably gotten a job in a different city, or even a different country, or maybe his contract didn’t allow him to be out, or- the possibilities were endless and horrifying. Louis had probably taken him somewhere so nice to soften the blow.

 

Harry gulped. “You- you didn't bring me here to break up with me, did you?”

 

“What?” Louis blinked. “No! No, why would I ever do that? I love you,” he said quickly and obviously.

 

Harry blinked, mouth falling slightly open. “You-”

 

“Shit,” said Louis, brow furrowed frustratedly. “That was the important thing. I was gonna tell you,” Louis looked suddenly shy, looking up at Harry through his eyelashes. Harry melted a little in his seat. Louis sat up straighter. “I love you, Harry.”

 

Harry was breathless. His vision seemed to be more vivid than before and he momentarily forgot how to breathe. He realized that he hadn't spoken since the declaration. The expression on Louis’ face resembled a slow-motion crash into despair.

 

“I love you, too, Louis, oh my god,” he gushed out. Louis looked relieved and new light of joy began to creep into his smile, which only grew as Harry continued. “ _So much_ . I'm _ridiculously_ in love with you, I have been for ages. I’ve loved you since I first saw you; long before we both thought the same thing.”

 

All the candles in the restaurant might as well have been blown out, as dark as they were next to Louis' grin.

 

“I've never felt so much for anyone,” he admitted.

 

Harry knew he was glowing, but it matched the glow in the chair across from him, so he didn't mind a bit when his cheeks pinkened at the thought of this perfect boy loving him.

 

“It’s funny,” Harry said, “because just last week I was worried _Niall_ was Chat Noir.”

 

Louis gaped. “ _Niall?_ ”

 

Harry laughed. “Yep! I was so concerned, because I didn't want to have feelings for him.”

 

Louis stared at him. “Niall doesn’t even look like me! He’s blonde, Harry!”

 

Harry laughed at Louis’ shock. “You’ve got a _much_ nicer ass, as well.”

 

“Why are you looking at Niall’s ass?” Louis asked, incredulous.

 

“I mean, how else am I gonna find out if he’s Chat Noir?” Harry joked. “And, like, his is fine, but only the _real_ Chat Noir could have an ass as _astronomical_ as yours.”

 

Louis grinned. “ _Ass_ -tronomical?”

 

Harry groaned to cover up his amusement, shaking his head fondly at the pun. “I take it back. I don’t love you anymore.”

 

Louis laughed. “No, come on, baby, don’t _pun_ ish me like this!”

 

Harry scoffed. “This is awful.”

 

Louis grinned. “This is what you signed up for, going out with Chat Noir. You should’ve realized that me and the puns are a package deal.”

 

Harry groaned. “This is a _cat_ astrophe.”

 

Louis barked out a laugh. “You hypocrite! You _love_ puns! I spent all this time worried that Ladybug hated me for them and here we are, learning that he _loves_ them! This is a travesty!”

 

Harry laughed with him, too happy to have any other kind of reaction. “You know what I love more than puns?”

 

Louis looked at him, eyes shining with mirth, and tilted his head in question.

 

Harry shot him a shit-eating grin. “Niall.”

 

Louis glared at him. “You little shit,” he laughed. “I should never have fallen in love with you.”

 

Harry smiled at his boy, so overflowing with love that he didn’t know what to do. “And you know who I love more than Niall?”

 

Louis raised his eyebrows.

 

“You.”

 

Louis laughed, leaning back and shifting in his chair. He was probably having the same overflow issue Harry was.

 

“I love you,” Harry said, relishing in saying it. “So much.”

 

“I love _you_ .” Louis said. “ _So_ much.”

 

Harry blushed, feeling the words wash over him and wanting nothing more than to keep this boy forever.

 

“Always,” Louis said, so quiet that Harry almost didn’t hear it.

 

“Always,” Harry responded.

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

That day, the headline of the _Ladyblog_ proclaimed what half of Paris had already thought (due in no small part to Chat Noir):

 

_LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR: “Yes, We’re Together:” An Inside Look At Paris’ Newest Celebrity Couple_

 

**~ ~ ~**

 

“If you don’t make the _Ladyblog_ your prime outlet, he’s gonna strangle you,” Niall was saying to Louis. “No joke.”

 

Louis laughed, but he knew it was true. “I know. He wouldn’t hesitate.”

 

Niall laughed. “Harry’s already signed a contract with him, I think.”

 

“What?” Louis said, turning to his boyfriend.

 

Harry shrugged. “Liam cornered me as soon as he found out my identity,” he said, long legs sprawled across the couch and over Louis’ lap. “I had no choice.”

 

Louis patted his knee. “Alright,” he said. “Can’t argue with that.”

 

“You should make him do sexual favors to make up for it,” Niall chimed in.

 

“You should keep your ass out of our sex life,” Louis rebutted.

 

Niall cackled. “Mate, you _wish_ this ass was in your sex life.”

 

Harry laughed.

 

“Where’s Liam, anyway?” Louis asked. “Hasn’t it been, like, ten minutes since he went to get popcorn?”

 

Harry check his phone. “It’s been… 2.”

 

Louis rolled his eyes. “Same thing. Basically.”

 

Harry laughed. “Close, babe. Nice try.”

 

Niall rolled his eyes. “You’re blinded by love, H. Tommo’s clearly an idiot.” He turned his head towards Louis’ kitchen. “ _Liam!_ ” he yelled.

 

“Fuck off!” came the resulting cry as Liam walked in with three bowls of popcorn.

 

“One for you two, because you share everything and your love is disgusting,” he said, putting one on Harry’s legs.

 

“One for you, because if we shared, I wouldn’t get any,” Liam said, plopping one down on Niall’s lap.

 

“Cheers to that,” the Irishman said.

 

“And one for me, because I made it and I deserve this,” he said, sitting down in an armchair.

 

Louis and Harry both reached into the bowl at the same time, bumping their hands. In unison, they looked up and each other and smiled.

 

“Oh my _god_ , you two are _disgusting_ ,” Niall said. “You’ve been dating for a month and a half, why is this-” -he gestured at what amounted to all of them- “-still happening?”

 

Louis shrugged, still looking at Harry. “It’s some soulmate shit, Niall. You’re going to have to get over it.”

 

Harry laughed at that, remembering his conversation so long ago with Chat Noir, where he had accidentally let Louis’ name slip- the conversation which he now realized was the one that started it all for Harry.

 

He leaned in close to tell Louis quietly; Louis noticed the movement immediately and moved closer. Their synchronization was, by now, almost scary in its accuracy.

 

“I can’t believe I told you all that I did when I didn’t know you were Chat Noir,” he murmured, voice low as the TV switched on in front of them. “I must’ve talked about you for _hours_ , and I didn’t even realize that you were right there the entire time.”

 

Louis nodded. “You wouldn’t believe how jealous I was of your mystery boy.”

 

Harry giggled. “It’s never anyone but you, Lou.”

 

Louis rubbed Harry’s thigh, still resting on top of his own. “I’m so happy it’s _you_.”

 

“Get a room, you two,” Niall called, raining popcorn down on them from across the room.

 

“Oi!” Louis called, waving his hand in the air in a lousy attempt to block it. “Enough of that!”

 

“You’d think Ladybug and Chat Noir would be harder to beat,” Niall commented conversationally to Liam. “You better hope I never get akumatized.”

 

“Niall, don’t make me come over there and _cataclysm_ your ass.”

 

“Alright, I’m not scared as long as Harry stays away with his butterfly magic.”

 

“It’s ladybugs!” Harry defended. “It’s on theme!”

 

“Yeah, keep away from my boy, Neil,” Louis said, lifting an arm over Harry’s chest. “Or he’s gonna tie you up with that unbreakable yo-yo of his and beat you with it.” Louis couldn’t help the pride swelling in his chest as he thought about how good Harry was in action.

 

“Guys, what should we watch?” Liam was asking, scrolling through Netflix.

 

“You know what’s more interesting than _all_ of these movies?” Niall asked.

 

“What?” Harry asked.

 

“Louis’ old diary entry- the one where he plans his wedding to Ladybug,” Niall announced as Liam grabbed the remote.

 

“No!” Louis cried, shocked and horrified.

 

“Yes!” Harry cried, surprised and excited.

 

“Do it!” Liam yelled.

 

“Niall has a scrapbook where he’s planning our wedding!” Louis yelled desperately in an attempt to change the subject.

 

“Really?” Harry asked.

 

Niall nodded. “Yep. I’ll own up.”

 

Harry nodded thoughtfully. “Can I see it? I wanna know what you’ve got for us.”

 

“Really?” Louis asked.

 

“ _Really?_ ” asked Liam.

 

Harry nodded. “He’s got a good aesthetic,” he defended. “And it’s gonna be a nice scrapbook. You know how organized he is.”

 

Niall nodded, proud of his organizational skills. “I am.”

 

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Your aesthetic? What’s your aesthetic?”

 

Niall shrugged. “I don’t know. The good stuff.”

 

Louis laughed.

 

Harry moved to curl up at Louis’ side. Louis dropped an obliging arm over his shoulders without. For a moment, the world was quiet; Niall and Liam’s squabble faded away and all that existed were the glowing points where Louis could feel Harry’s breathing gently rocking them together. Louis relocated his free hand to Harry’s, absentmindedly rubbing his fingers on the anchor tattoo. He pressed his palm to Harry’s, letting the ink line up to form the perfect picture: a rope tied to his anchor. Louis flipped the hand over and traced the muscles in Harry’s hand; he probably knew them better than his own. Louis’ thumb slipped over his pulse. The steady beat inside matched perfectly the drum of his own heart.

 

“Pay up,” Niall said suddenly to Liam, hand stretched out, palm up.

 

“What?” Louis asked.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“He won the bet.”

 

“Liam!”

 

“Sorry, I didn’t know it was a secret!”

 

“What were you betting on?” Harry asked.

 

“Niall said you two would be cuddling before the movie even started, but he’s a dirty cheater, because he delayed the start of the movie. So I’m not gonna pay up.”

 

“What? That’s not fair!”

 

“I was about to start one and you stopped me,” Liam said. “That’s academic dishonesty.”

 

Niall snorted. “That’s someone who didn’t want to lose five quid.”

 

Louis laughed. “I have to say I’m with Niall.”

 

“But we don’t support the betting on us,” Harry clarified.

 

“Yeah, you’ll always win,” Louis added.

 

Niall snorted. “It’s too easy.”

 

“That’s my aesthetic,” Liam chimed in. “It’s lit.”

 

Louis snorted. “Don’t say things if you don’t know what they mean, grandpa.”

 

Liam rolled his eyes, but his phone started to beep before he could defend himself. He pulled it out. “Akuma attack!” he called.

 

“Damn it, I wanted to see the movie,” Niall said.

 

Louis and Harry jumped up.

 

“Where?” Harry asked seriously.

 

“The Louvre,” Liam replied.

 

Louis nodded, and he and Harry rushed toward the window, transforming on their way.

 

He paused in front of the open window panel, turning to look at the love of his life. It was only a short moment -- less than a full second -- but the glance seemed to last for eternity as Louis etched into his mind every plane of Harry’s body as he stood, poised for action, seriousness illustrated in the quirk of his lip and the glint in his eye. He looked so… heroic; there was no other word for it. Louis was so ready to spend the rest of his life with this man.

 

“Ready?” Louis asked, turning to check on Ladybug.

 

“Always,” Harry replied.

 

And they leapt out into the world together.

 

(“That’ll never get old,” Niall said.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [here](http://vibrantlarries.tumblr.com/post/162186438397/pink-is-the-color-of-love) is an illustration of some of this
> 
> this turned out so much longer than the 15k i'd originally planned.
> 
> (special thanks to ella for helping me write those kissing/almost-graphic scenes. she really helped y'all dodge a bullet there)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you again to ella, to julia, to one direction, but most of all to YOU for sticking around and reading 54k of essentially a childrens show. please leave a (nice) comment about the work, say [hi to me on tumblr](http://vanillabeanniall.tumblr.com/ask), i'd love to hear your thoughts, or give me some kudos if you liked it! thanks again for reading!!
> 
> what a laugh !


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